TSGA chief executive Sue Grau said the industry had already implemented many of the reforms recommended by the final report of the Legislative Council's review into fin-fish farming, released last week.

Chaired by independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb, the sub-committee released its final report making 68 different recommendations about the industry.

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These included halting further sector expansion until new growth and biosecurity plans were completed; increased independence and funding for industry regulator the Environmental Protection Authority; more industry transparency and a review of fees and levies paid by fish farming companies.

Ms Grau said there was already an "effective" moratorium on industry expansion as the government formulates its new 10-year salmon plan and biosecurity plan.

That is a big shift from before the announcement of the sub-committee's review in 2019. The previous salmon industry plan called for a doubling of the size of the industry, to $2 billion, by 2030.

Ms Grau said many of the committee's recommendations directed at the industry have already been implemented by members over the past three years.

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"Our pursuit of [Recirculating Aquaculture Systems] hatcheries, the transparent release of operational data via publicly available Sustainability Dashboards and development of a Marine Debris Code of Practice were all in place before the committee began," she said.

RAS hatcheries are ones that re-use water to rear salmon smolt into juveniles, whereas the flow-through hatcheries that are being replaced require new water to continuously flow through the system and ultimately back into river systems.

RAS hatcheries reuse about 99 per cent of the water. The sub-committee report also recommended a review of legislation and an overhaul of tender processes for farm allocations.

Following the report's release, prominent independent water scientist Christine Coughanowr called for a staged phase-out of flow-through hatcheries, which she described as "no longer acceptable" in the industry.

The five flow-through hatcheries along the Derwent river system produce the equivalent nutrient pollution of several sewage treatment plants, posing a danger to the river's health and to humans, according to Ms Coughanowr.

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She said the high levels of water nutrients from the flow-through hatcheries, combined with rising water temperatures, increased the risk of spreading toxic algal blooms.

The TSGA's Ms Grau rebutted that, however.

"These facilities are subject to constant monitoring, some of which is independently undertaken, with results provided to the environmental regulator," she told The Examiner.

"For example, most recent biomonitoring in the Florentine River showed good and equivalent conditions scores at both upstream and downstream sites when assessed under the Tasmanian River Condition Index model for macroinvertebrates and benthic algae." Further monitoring is underway right now, she added.

But most of the industry has already shifted to RAS hatcheries, regardless, she said.

Both Huon Aquaculture and Tassal - Tasmania's two biggest fish farming companies - already raise about 95 per cent of their smolt in RAS hatcheries.

A number of older flow-through hatcheries remain for now, however.

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"Flow-through hatcheries will continue to be an important component of the salmon industry's freshwater operations because there is no evidence of lasting environmental harm," she said.

According to community opinion research funded by the TSGA and conducted in 2021, 78 per cent of Tasmanians either supported or held a neutral opinion of the salmon-farming sector, while 75 per cent saw the industry as either "very important" or "important".

In April, an agreement was signed between the state and federal governments regarding aquaculture research in Bass Strait. The agreement provides the legal framework for research to be undertaken in Commonwealth waters.

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