Today’s approval of Tassal’s Okehampton Bay aquaculture site through the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) process is positive news for the industry and jobs in regional Tasmania.
This is the highest environmental tick in the land and further supports the earlier recommendation by the independent Marine Farm Planning Review Panel that current environmental science supports fin fish farming at Okehampton Bay.
The Hodgman Liberal Government strongly supports the salmon industry and the 5200 jobs it supports but has also introduced the toughest regulations, under the independent Environment Protection Authority, so that the Tasmanian public can be further assured about this sustainable and world class industry.
The Tasmanian Government will also soon release a draft of the Sustainable Salmon Industry Growth Plan which will look at all aspects of the industry, future planning and identify potential ``grow zones’’ and ``no grow zones.’’
It is now time for the Greens and radical environment groups to accept the environmental umpire and stop attacking jobs in regional Tasmania by spreading misleading information.
More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff
More Media Releases from the Minister for Primary Industries and Water