Concerned residents have piled marine debris outside Parliament House as part of a call for the state government to improve the regulation of fish farm pollution.
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Tasmanian Greens Senators Nick McKim and Peter Whish-Wilson and Franklin Greens MHA Rosalie Woodruff joined members of the Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection group to display marine debris from fish farming areas collected over recent weeks on Parliament Lawns in Hobart.
Senator McKim said the state government's zero-tolerance policy in regards to marine debris was just a slogan.
"If there was a zero-tolerance policy, local communities wouldn't be able to collect big piles of plastic crap, which is what they are having to do," Senator McKim said.
"This stuff (marine debris) is not only washing up on coastlines in Tasmania, it's biodegrading and ending up as micro-plastics that enter into the food chain in our oceans.
"It is just the tip of the plastic iceberg."
Senator McKim said fines for fish farm pollution need to be higher, the government needs to ensure fines are levied every time there is contamination and an independent regulatory body needs to established to enforce the rules.
Tasmanian sailor Sheenagh Neill said said the government was allowing Tasmanian waterways to be junked up.
"These companies cannot contain their infrastructure. They lose stuff. They cannot contain their debris," Ms Neill said.
"The government cannot police at all. They've got a zero-tolerance policy, yet in the last two years there's only been seven fines of less than $4000 issued."
Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection group member Trish Baily said picking up debris on the shoreline is a daily event for people living on the peninsula.
"We, the public, should not be subjected to picking up the trash that is coming from the fish farms," Ms Baily said.
"We must look at the Atlantic salmon farming industry, and question the sustainability of an industry that is contributing blatantly to the pollution of our waterways.
"As Tasmanians we can do better than enable an industry that is contributing to the degradation of our marine resources."
A government spokesperson said the number of infringement notices issued was a clear indication that Tasmanian salmon producers were taking action to minimise debris and the system is working.
"Four infringements were issued under the zero tolerance approach in 2018 and four have been issued so far in 2019," the spokesperson said.
"We will continue to police and issue infringement notices for marine debris.
"The Hodgman Liberal government is unapologetic about significantly increasing regulations and monitoring for the salmon industry.
"Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) officers were authorised to monitor and respond to breaches, where marine farm equipment is found outside of marine farm lease areas. This doubled the number of authorised officers under the Marine Farming Planning Act 1995."
Tasmanian Salmon Growers Association chief executive Andrew Gregson said salmon farms in Tasmania all conduct regular clean-ups in and around their areas because they recognise that marine debris is a problem.
"Of all the debris that salmon farmers collect, a large portion of it is rubbish that's not ours," Mr Gregson said.
"To simply point at a pile of rubbish and say, that's all the fault of the salmon industry, is at-best misguided.
"We don't deny that some marine debris comes off fish farms, and the TSGA along with our members do our best to stop debris and its source and also have a number of programs in place, or about to be launched, to quickly identify and retrieve marine debris.
"We've been running a hotline for quite some time for people to report debris and, whether its ours or not, if its in a fish farming area we will retrieve it.
"Like all farmers, we can always improve and we are always looking for ways to improve. Marine debris is one of them. Stopping it at the source is obviously the ideal solution, but if anything does escape we have got to clean it up immediately."
A Huon Aquaculture spokeswoman said the company continued to act immediately and decisively on its responsibilities in relation to stopping marine debris at the source, however, acknowledged there was more work to do in this area.
"We have a marine debris policy which is part of our broader Environmental Management Plan and sits alongside our specific Environmental and Waste Management Plans for each of our farm sites, as well as the company's legal obligations in respect of a variety of state, federal and international legislation and conventions," the spokeswoman said.
"Over the past few years Huon has invested more than $90 million in our patented Fortress Pen System, which are used in some of the roughest farming conditions in the world, at Storm Bay.
"This site is high energy, frequently receiving storm swells and gale force winds and the pens continue to withstand the elements."
The spokeswoman said Huon Aquaculture staff regularly patrol and clean up beaches throughout the Huon, Channel and Macquarie Harbour.
"Since the beginning of this financial year, Huon has spent 727 person hours cleaning up our adopted shorelines in the south, and removed over 26 cubic metres of marine debris," the spokeswoman said.
"These shorelines are our backyards and we have a responsibility to minimise the impact of our farming on them."