The Environment Protection Authority has granted Petuna Seafoods permission to restock the contentious Franklin lease at Macquarie Harbour.
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EPA director Wes Ford’s decision comes in the wake of Tassal and Petuna’s announcement of a joint venture in the harbour, which will see Petuna manage operations in seven leases owned by Tassal.
The companies have touted the joint venture as a win for the harbour’s long-term sustainability.
Mr Ford has ruled the companies can undertake “partial and limited” stocking of the Franklin lease, which has been the subject of community concern due to fears it was environmentally degrading the harbour.
Indeed, Mr Ford directed Tassal to destock the lease in November 2016 – it was fully destocked by April 2017.
The approval is subject to a number of conditions, including, but not limited to:
- A maximum biomass limit of 3000 tonnes to apply to the lease; and
- A total feed input limit of 4500 tonnes to be set for July 2018 – May 2019.
A statement from Petuna said the EPA’s decision would pave the way for a new management model in the harbour and lead to improved animal welfare, biosecurity and environmental outcomes.
Petuna chief executive Ruben Alvarez said this represented a “material shift” in how fish farms in the harbour are managed.
“Our alternating stocking plan will see smolt placed on the southern leases for a shorter time period of nine to ten months, before being moved to the northern leases in the harbour, where they will continue to grow to harvest size,” Mr Alvarez said.
“This will allow the more sensitive southern leases at Franklin and Bryan’s Bay to be rested for at least 15 months before the next group of smolt are transferred, giving more time for sediments within the leases to recover naturally.”
But Environment Tasmania strategy director Laura Kelly said the decision would result in the dumping of “industrial tonnes of waste on the first signs of life returning to Macquarie Harbour’s largest salmon lease”.
“Why won’t the salmon companies and the Tasmanian government just let the harbour recover?” Ms Kelly said.