Fishers smiling after two fish escapes but environmentalists concerned

Two mass salmon escapes in as many months is providing a quick and easy meal for local anglers.

AMATEUR fishers on Tasmania’s West Coast are reportedly landing bins full of salmon after two fish farm escapes in Macquarie Harbour.

Environmental Protection Authority director Wes Ford said he had been notified by Petuna of two escapes of salmon smolt from its finfish lease in the Strahan harbour – the first in early November and the second last week.

“Petuna advised the EPA that they estimated the first escape to be about 50,000 small fish. Details about the second escape have not yet been provided to the EPA,” Mr Ford said.

In a video posted to the Wild Fishers for Sustainable Salmon Farms in Tasmanian Waters Facebook page, Matthew Morgan said he had asked the EPA to conduct an audit of salmon pens in the harbour on the back of confirmation of fish escapes.

Mr Morgan said fishers on the West Coast had this week reported landing salmon weighing 4kg to 5kg – and lots of them.

“It is the EPA’s job to step in to get to the bottom of this,” Mr Morgan said.

Posted by Matthew Morgan on Sunday, 15 December 2019

Petuna said 50,000 small Atlantic salmon escaped after storms damaged one of its pens in the harbour in November.

“The baby fish, each weighing around 250 grams, had recently been moved from Petuna’s

hatchery at Cressy into the growing pen. They escaped when part of the pen’s net broke from

its mooring during strong winds and rough seas,” the company said.

“As always, Petuna proactively reports fish losses across its farms. There have been two such

losses in the past 12 months, both of which involved only small-size fish.”

Petuna’s general manager strategy and technical, Richard Miller, said the company was undertaking measures to try to prevent a similar situation occurring again.

“We are constantly looking for ways in which we can ensure better protection for our fish

especially given the increasing intensity of weather patterns across the nation,” he said.

Petuna salmon pens in Macquarie Harbour.

The Greens raised concerns that the freed fish could pose a biosecurity concern.

Environment spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff said there were allegations that the 120,000 farmed salmon that escaped from Storm Bay in wild storms last year were infected with pilchard orthomyxovirus.

Research showed the escaped fish survived up to four months in the wild.

Dr Woodruff said Primary Industries Minister Guy Barnett needed to tell Tasmanians how many salmon have escaped, why, and if they posed a similar biosecurity threat to Macquarie Harbour.

“Macquarie Harbour is already seriously degraded as a result of over-farming salmon. Private companies who operate in public waterways must be able to assure the community their activities will not threaten existing native wildlife and industries,” she said.