Tassal East Coast expansion row

A TV documentary has questioned an assertion by Tassal that it would not seek to expand salmon farming into Mercury Passage on the East Coast.

TASSAL’S assertion it would not seek to farm salmon in Mercury Passage on Tasmania’s East Coast has been questioned in a Four Corners documentary on the state’s booming salmon industry.

Last night’s program ended with details of a leaked, unsigned document dated 2016 that stated Spring Bay Seafoods would facilitate Tassal’s expansion in Mercury Passage, if requested.

Extracts of the document, obtained by the Mercury, state “Spring Bay Seafoods has agreed that should Tassal wish to expand its operations within the Lease Area or other areas leased by Spring Bay Seafoods in the Mercury Passage, Spring Bay Seafoods will facilitate this expansion”.

Tassal chief executive Mark Ryan said his company had ruled out expanding from the proposed 28-pen Okehampton Bay site into Mercury Passage about two years ago.

Tassal chief executive Mark Ryan said the company has ruled out expanding from the proposed Okehampton Bay site into Mercury Passage.

“We have no plans to farm salmon in Mercury Passage where that existing lease is at the moment or outside of that lease,” Mr Ryan said.

The documentary included details on other leaked documents, including a 50-page Tassal strategy manual for dealing with Four Corners that showed the company approached the State Government, CSIRO, local mayors and state politicians before filming began.

Associate professor in marine biology Tim Dempster told the program that after studying the conditions in February, he had recommended no more fish be added to Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast.

Shortly after this, the Government increased the cap on the amount of fish that could be farmed in the harbour by 1350 tonnes. He called the decision “perplexing”.

Huon Aquaculture co-founder Frances Bender said she believed the industry could be heading for catastrophe in the harbour, and she had briefed the Government three times this year about her concerns.

Mr Ryan said he was comfortable Macquarie Harbour was sustainable.

Greens environment spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said it was alarming the Government had ignored advice from the industry about conditions in Macquarie Harbour. A statement provided to Four Corners by Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the Government would continue to work to ensure the salmon industry remained something all Tasmanians could be proud of.