The government has promised to not allow any more finfish farms on the East Coast from Tasman Island to Cape Portland, but environmental and community groups are pushing for more changes to the industry.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
About 80 people attended a protest in Orford on Sunday to raise concerns about environmental regulations of the industry, and urged companies to consider more environmentally-friendly methods of farming fish.
Recent issues included Right to Information documents showing the regulator and business working together to respond to media queries regarding seal management, the slow deaths of seabirds caught in nets and multiple mass fish escape incidents.
Graeme Wood, who owns Spring Bay Mill at Triabunna, said communities were growing increasingly concerned regarding alleged waterway, visual and light pollution from fish farms.
He said Tasmania needed to transition to methods of fish farming that did not interact with the natural environment.
"It's been around forever - it's land-based, closed-loop aquaculture. It exists on the mainland quite extensively. They're profitable, they focus on different species for different markets, it's one of the boom areas for aquaculture investment around the world," Mr Wood said.
"It means they don't pollute the environment, it eliminates the connection between fish farms and other species, it stops the spread of disease and it provides more precise temperatures and conditions for the fish so that the death rate is lower."
North-West fisherman Craig Garland spoke of concerns regarding the potential for a Petuna salmon farm at Stanley, which he claimed would interfere with emerging fisheries for King George whiting, snapper and kingfish, as well as the weedy sea dragon and coastal bird populations. He said there was "secrecy" around the government's plans regarding future fish farms.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"We've gone through it all with Gunns, we've seen it all with our forestry," Mr Garland said.
Okehampton landowner Jason Whitehead provided a letter from Resources Minister Guy Barnett which pledged no further fish farms on the East Coast.
Mr Barnett said that, given he had provided this assurance, the protest was "a publicity stunt".
When asked if land-based aquaculture was being considered for Tasmania, Mr Barnett said he would support innovation in the sector.
"We support innovation in every respect, including sustainable growth in the salmon sector, and salmon growth and salmon farming further offshore," he said.
"We support it in every respect, whether it's onshore or offshore, and it's important that people know that it is very strictly regulated and it is delivering jobs in those rural and regional parts of Tasmania."
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor: