Senate inquiry into fin-fish acquaculture hears of angst caused by round-the-clock operations

RESIDENTS affected by fish farms have told an inquiry their property prices have been hit and their sleep disrupted by around-the-clock operations.

Jennifer Hadaway, who gave evidence at the enquiry. Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications into The Fin-Fish aquaculture industry in Tasmania

TASMANIAN residents affected by fish farms have told a Senate committee their realestate prices have been hit and their sleep disrupted by around-the-clock aqua­culture operations — and nobody will address their concerns.

The Senate inquiry into the fin-fish aquaculture industry in Tasmania held the first of two days of public hearings in Hobart yesterday.

The hearings came as the State Government released a report clearing the industry of any major broad-scale envir­onmental impacts in the Huon and D’Entrecasteaux Channel region.

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The committee heard the industry contributes nearly 1600 direct jobs and $600 mill­ion worth of economic activity.

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The heads of the state’s three large aquaculture companies were all unavailable yesterday but Tasmanian Salmonid Growers Assoc­iation chief executive Adam Main said the industry was adequately regulated and widely recognised as the most sustainable in the world.

But written submissions from some individuals and organisations raised concerns about the impact of the booming industry.

Jennifer Hadaway giving evidence at the Senate committee inquiry, which continues today.

BIRDLIFE Tasmania said 80 per cent of silver gulls in south-eastern Tasmania were now found at aquaculture facilities and noted with concern the shooting of 498 great cormorants at Tassal facilities in 2013.

SARAH Lowe, of Sustainable Systems and Solutions, said rope from the fish farms was frequently found littering beaches nearby — noting four cubic metres of waste was coll­ected from just 8km of shoreline on Bruny Island in March.

DIVER David Abbott said he had given up diving after marine farms arrived in the Huon Estuary channel because of the gradual formation of a grey-brown deposit on reefs, cloudy water and the decreased abundance of fish life.

After 4½ hours of evidence — from industry and non-government organisations — local residents were given just three minutes each to present the problems they have faced.

They complained light and noise pollution from fish farms were depriving them of sleep. One woman broke into tears.

Lance and Jennifer Hadaway, of Dover, said lights from a large fish farming boat shone through their home all hours of the night.

“No one wants to listen, least of all Tassal or Huon Aquaculture.”

“We suffer sleep deprivation. We understand the loss of amenity will affect the sale of our property, yet we were here first,” they said.

“No one wants to listen, least of all Tassal or Huon Aquaculture.”

Primary Industries and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff yesterday released a report by the former director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Colin Buxton, which had found there was no scientific basis to claims salmon farming in south-east Tasmania was contributing to declining productivity in the abalone fishery.

The inquiry continues today.