10 August 2017

Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Primary Industries and Water

Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for Salmon Industry provides future blue-print

The Hodgman Liberal Government has developed the draft Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for the Salmon Industry so that the entire Tasmanian community can have confidence that we have an environmentally sustainable, world-class fin-fish industry.

The salmon industry is crucial to Tasmania’s economy and jobs in regional Tasmania, already by far our biggest primary industry.

We want to see this world-class industry continue to grow sustainably from its current position of $730 million in annual revenue and supporting 5200 jobs, managed through strong independent regulation and enjoying continued community support.

The Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for the Salmon Industry has been developed by carefully considering the views and interests from the community and the industry.

The Plan includes a map of Tasmania that identifies ``Grow Zones’’ and also salmon farm exclusion areas, or “No Grow Zones”, so that Tasmanians will have certainty about future farming locations.

Crucially, the plan extends the ban on new salmon farm leases already announced in Greater Mercury Passage right along the East Coast, which should reassure Tasmanians that the special nature of Tasmania’s East Coast will not be changed by fish farm expansion.

This is all about getting the balance right and the Plan relates to all aspects of the industry from hatchery to harvest, research and development, skills and also future planning.

The Plan also includes:

• A commitment that future growth of the industry should be largely oceanic, rather than estuarine.
• Establishment of a new Finfish Farming (compliance and monitoring) Unit in the Environment Protection Authority.
• Development of a Tasmanian Salmon Industry Scorecard which benchmarks the industry against international good practice.
• Collection of a wider range of environmental information and real time data and for increased access to this data through an independent portal hosted by IMAS.
• A formal agreement, jointly developed by all current finfish licence holders and the government, for sustainable future farming in Macquarie Harbour.
• Adoption of a ``zero tolerance’’ approach to marine debris.

In 2009 the salmon industry set itself a target to double its annual revenue to $1 billion by 2030. The industry is currently tracking ahead of that growth trajectory, which is even more reason to have an agreed Sustainable Industry Growth Plan that is understood and accepted by industry, government and the community.

The Tasmanian Government wants the community to have confidence in this world-class industry, which is why we have significantly strengthened penalties and regulations and why we put the independent Environment Protection Authority in charge of regulating the industry and given the EPA increased resources.

The draft Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for the Salmon Industry is open for broad public input and will ultimately deliver an agreed blueprint for the industry’s future.

Tasmanians can be assured that we will continue to work with the industry and regional communities to ensure the salmon industry remains something that every Tasmanian can be proud of and which continues to be a truly world-class sustainable asset.

The draft Plan is available is available for public comment until September 8, 2017, and can be viewed at www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/salmonplan.

More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff

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