King Islanders concerned about the impact of potential new fish farms have set up a “fighting fund” to support their campaign.
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The Tasmanian government has earmarked the entire coast of King Island as a potential finfish ‘grow zone’ and granted an exploration permit to Australia’s largest salmon company, Tassal.
King Island local Charlie Stubbs said he’d spoken to about 80 people who were concerned large, industrialised fish farming could damage the “clean, green” image King Island businesses use to market their products.
“The economic impact is going to be devastating if our brand is tainted in any way,” he said.
Mr Stubbs said locals were also concerned fish farming would impact the environment and inhibit recreational activities.
They’re frightened that everything that has attracted them to King Island and kept them on the island is under threat.
- Charlie Stubbs
Tassal’s head of engagement, Barbara McGregor, said Tasmania's reputation for premium, clean and green products was “at the heart of Tassal’s operations”.
“It is one of the main reasons why people buy our salmon and therefore protecting this reputation is as key for us as it is for the communities where we operate,” she said.
Community opposition could become a major headache for Tassal, a company already embroiled in a fierce public debate over the expansion of its operations in Oakhampton Bay in eastern Tasmania.
“But they are only the very first steps in mapping out the process for both the research and community consultation programs associated with determining viability for salmon farming in oceanic conditions off King Island,” she said.
Ms McGregor said locals could tour Tassal’s existing operations in early 2018 and encouraged them to “reach out to us directly so that we can provide them independent research and also data from our farming operations that is subject to a high level of regulatory compliance and the global Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification standard”.
STILL EARLY DAYS FOR TASSAL
Minister for primary industries and water, Jeremy Rockliff said Tassal was still in the early stages of investigating fish farming around King Island and the company would go through a “very rigorous assessment process” before any fish entered the water.
This is the very early stages where the company is just testing the waters.
- Jeremy Rockliff
While Mr Rockliff didn’t say whether the community had been consulted before the government earmarked King Island as a ‘grow zone’, he did say they’d have “plenty of opportunity to have their say” in the future.
Mr Rockliff also said Tasmania’s salmon industry aligned with the state’s clean image and the government had already strengthened environmental regulation and monitoring relating to salmon farming.
Jim Cooper, a King Islander involved in the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, said locals concerned about Tassal’s plans should wait until there’s more details before casting judgement.
“They need to sit back and wait till the whole proposal is developed and see what we’re dealing with,” he said.
“It’s probably another two or three years before we’ll have a firm proposal.”
Mr Stubbs said he wasn’t against fish farming itself “provided it was in the right location”.