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ABC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
The Greens want to move salmon farms from water to land. The Tasmanian industry says it can't be done
Tasmania's salmon industry — a $1.3 billion operation concentrated mostly in the state's south — has become a contentious political topic this federal election campaign. It produced almost 75,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon in the 2022-23 financial year, and those in support of the industry argue it's an important economic contributor to the state, while providing employment to regional communities. Photo shows Salmon farm location map 4 Those black, circular things floating in the water off the Tasmanian coastline? They are salmon farms. Here is how many there are — and who owns them. The industry, made up of three foreign-owned companies — Tassal, Huon and Petuna — has recently found itself at the centre of several environmental incidents, and has played a key role in a last-minute In February, Rotting fish and Not long after, video released of live salmon being placed into bins with dead fish resulted in Tasmania's salmon industry operates mostly in the state's south in channels and bays. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) The industry has been criticised by conservation and environmental groups for years over its impact on the To mitigate the impacts to marine areas, environmental groups such as Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) have argued that commercially-farmed salmon could be moved to land-based operations. They say land-based farming also minimises the spread of disease, reducing the need for antibiotics, and removes noise and light pollution for coastal communities. In Iceland, grow-out tanks by land-based salmon company Laxey — each measuring 28m in diameter and 13m in height — can hold up to 5,000 cubic metres of seawater. ( Laxey ) It's a strategy the salmon industry strongly opposes, arguing the move to 100 per cent land-based farming would be economically, logistically and politically unrealistic. The push to land-based salmon farming In Tasmania, commercially grown salmon starts in freshwater land-based hatcheries, before being moved to saltwater open-pen farms on maturity. Land-based farming uses Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), a controlled environment that reuses water and limits the movement of fish. On Wednesday, Tasmanian Greens Senator Nick McKim announced a new policy to force salmon farms out of the state's coastal waters and in to land-based farms. In his announcement, Senator McKim said "for too long, the salmon corporations have treated Tasmania's oceans like a dumping ground". ( ABC News: Jake Grant ) The Greens' proposal includes $50 million of Commonwealth funding for environmental remediation, independent monitoring of salmon farms for compliance with animal cruelty and environmental standards, and a "jobs transition package" for Macquarie Harbour workers. Under the policy, the salmon industry would self-fund its transition to land-based farming. "This is about transitioning the industry onshore, getting the industry out of Macquarie Harbour, to give the Maugean skate a fighting chance of survival," Mr McKim said. The Greens have not put a timeline on the completion of the transition. In April, Laxey completed its first salmon transfer to land-based grow-out tanks in Iceland. ( Laxey ) Photo shows Large ship next to a fish farm pen in the ocean. Foreign companies now own Tasmania's big three salmon farming operations. Here's a look at how industrial fish farms are run overseas — and the problems operators have encountered when there's opposition to their practices. Tasmania's salmon industry is regulated by the state government. Mr McKim said there were "plenty of levers that can be pulled" at a state level to instigate the transition. "There's no doubt that the powers exist to transition the industry on shore and to force it to transition on shore," he said. The Tasmanian government has not supported the Greens' policy. "They clearly have a focus on shutting down Tasmanian industry. They are anti-everything," Minister Felix Ellis said. Independent federal candidate for Franklin and Climate-200-backed anti-salmon campaigner, Peter George, has also flagged land-based aquaculture as an environmentally positive alternative. Mr George took leave from his role as NOFF's president to challenge federal Fisheries Minister Julie Collins in the federal election. In his campaign material, Peter George says "Labor and Liberal … are putting corporate interests and overseas profit before the people of Franklin". ( ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke ) Why the Tasmanian industry says it can't work Luke Martin, outgoing chief executive of the industry's peak body Salmon Tasmania, dismissed the case for 100-per-cent land-based farming as "voodoo economics". "It will never get to a point where you do the entire production period, the entire two-year life cycle of the fish, on land," Mr Martin said. Mr Martin says he doesn't think land-based salmon farming would be economically viable. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) He said large amounts of water, energy and land would be required to transition the industry, requirements he deemed unfeasible. Mr Martin also argued that the cost of moving the industry to land-based farms was significant and would drive up the price of the product, making it economically unviable. "We're talking about giant artificial ponds, enormous tanks built into the Tasmanian landscape — which community would be lining up to put their hand up in Tasmania?" he said. " It is just not economically possible. I don't believe it's environmentally feasible and certainly the engineering considerations are very complex as well. " Thousands turned out to Hobart's parliament lawns to protest the environmental damage caused by marine fish farms. ( ABC News: Jake Grant ) However, he said the industry was investigating how it could expand the amount of time fish spend on land before being transferred to marine pens — with an eye to expanding operations. "The future of the industry lies with a combination of partial on-land farming for the small fish, where the smolt [young fish] would spend around 12 months of their life," he said. "And then secure leases in deeper water, into more open water areas like outer Storm Bay, potentially off the coast." Mr Martin said if land-based farming did become feasible, he believed the industry would move closer to bigger mainland markets to minimise costs. Has it worked elsewhere? Other commercially grown finfish, such as barramundi, are farmed at land-based facilities in Queensland and the Northern Territory at far smaller volumes than Atlantic salmon. Photo shows Large ship next to a fish farm pen in the ocean. Foreign companies now own Tasmania's big three salmon farming operations. Here's a look at how industrial fish farms are run overseas — and the problems operators have encountered when there's opposition to their practices. However, land-based commercial Atlantic salmon farms do exist, and have been implemented at small scale in many countries — most notably in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe. The scale of production at these land-based locations is far smaller than their ocean counterparts. The largest example of land-based RAS aquaculture is Florida-based company, Atlantic Sapphire, which raises salmon in a "bluehouse", a climate-controlled indoor facility that minimises the risk of disease and environmental contamination. But profitability remains a challenge. In 2023, the company harvested just over 1,500 tonnes, a decrease of about 700 tonnes from the previous year. Atlantic Sapphire is the largest global onshore aquaculture company in the world. ( Supplied: Atlantic Sapphire ) Canada is the world's fourth-largest producer of Atlantic salmon, with the majority of its industry farming in west coast waters off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is attempting to transition part of its billion-dollar industry to land-based practices. In June last year, the Canadian government promised to ban marine salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029, citing environmental concerns and the need to protect wild salmon populations. The plan has left the region's peak-industry body, the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association, concerned and doubtful it can be achieved without significant job losses. Its executive director, Brian Kingzett, told the ABC the estimated cost to transition the industry was more than 2 billion Canadian dollars. "We had a political decision, not based in science," Mr Kingzett said. "Much like Tasmania, we're largely a remote island. Our salmon farms are in rural areas, we don't have the power grid or the land to support on-land aquaculture."
ABC News
26-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Economic saviour or environmental problem? Tasmania's Huon community divided over salmon farming
Ros and Brett Hickey have run a roadside café about 50 kilometres south of Hobart for almost two decades. While some of their customers are tourists, the majority work in salmon farms in the Huon Valley region. Ms Hickey said without their patronage, the Port Huon Trading Post café — and many other businesses in the area — would struggle to survive. "They're very, very important because we've lost our logging industry pretty much, and there's not a lot else around," she said. The couple says the region has already lost the logging industry. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Photo shows Salmon farm location map 4 Those black, circular things floating in the water off the Tasmanian coastline? They are salmon farms. Here is how many there are — and who owns them. While the salmon industry has many supporters in the region, it has also been the subject of significant controversy in recent months. First came Oily fish globules then started As the industry dealt with the fallout, footage secretly recorded by environmentalists showed It prompted the RSPCA to Supporting livelihoods Nathan Rowe is confident the industry has a strong future in a region where many rely on it for work. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Nathan Rowe, a veteran of Tasmania's salmon industry, said the negative coverage has had an impact on workers. "Absolutely, it affects people," he said. "People want to be seen to be working in an area where they can be proud. "I think a lot of people are concerned of what may happen in the salmon industry." Mr Rowe works at one of Huon Aquaculture's hatcheries in the Huon Valley. Mr Rowe works at one of Huon Aquaculture's hatcheries . ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Photo shows A man with silver hair sits on a chair in a restaurant This chef vows he'll never serve it — why is the salmon industry so divisive in Tasmania? In his view, the recent events were aberrations in an otherwise sustainable industry. "After 20 years of working for Huon, I've seen nothing but improvement in terms of animal welfare, [and] in our responses to global warming," he said. Mr Rowe is confident the industry has a strong future in a region where many rely on it for work. "If we didn't have that industry down here, we would lose our takeaways, our cafes, and lots of other community things [like] the footy team," he said. The salmon operations around Port Huon are crucial to some local businesses. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) "We've certainly got challenges to face moving forward in the environment. "But I feel that the salmon industry is a big part of Tasmania. "It's a pristine environment to grow a pristine product and I think we can be very proud of that product from Tasmania." Tranquillity interrupted Jane Pash wants greater scrutiny on salmon farms' environmental impacts. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Jane Pash has a very different view. For almost 30 years, her family has had a beach shack at Surveyors Bay, near the mouth of the Huon River. "It's just a way to be able to step aside from the chaos of busy lives and stresses and connect in a way that's becoming increasingly difficult," she said. Ms Pash's family has had a beach shack at Surveyors Bay for decades. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) But in her view, the tranquillity has been increasingly impacted by the expansion of nearby salmon farming operations, including boats that run day and night. "You can always hear the low hum [of the boats] when you are sleeping," she said. Her frustrations grew last month when the congealed fish globules began appearing on local beaches — and in the water she likes to swim in. "Certainly, the impacts on the environment, the ecosystems, the foreshore, are becoming more and more and more apparent now, which is of concern," she said. While Ms Pash acknowledges the many jobs the local industry supports, she wants greater scrutiny on its environmental impacts. Ms Pash noticed the fatty globules washing up on her local beach. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) "I think there needs to be a very drastic, very comprehensive inquiry into the operations," she said. She also wants increased monitoring of salmon farming, as well as alternative locations for salmon pens. "Move them to an area that's not going to impact the environment as much as it currently is," she said. Salmon Tasmania declined to comment for this story. The salmon industry has been the subject of significant controversy in recent months. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )
ABC News
25-04-2025
- General
- ABC News
New commercial kitchen for kids in Hobart's north hopes to inspire a community
In Hobart's outer suburbs, busy hands are making light work of a harvest of cucamelons — a slightly sour, crisp fruit with the look of a mini watermelon, but the taste of a cucumber. But as the pile builds up, alongside freshly plucked cherry tomatoes, it doesn't have far to be transported before it can be turned into a delicious dish thanks to the recent opening of a brand new commercial kitchen, just a few metres away. The kitchen is the latest addition to the Bridgewater-based base of social enterprise charity Material Institute. With the site already home to a science beauty lab and market garden, the kitchen has been designed to give students hands-on experience preparing and cooking healthy meals with all the necessary equipment. Roughly 30 students a week will make use of the kitchen, a number Material Institute is hopeful will continue to grow. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) "This is the fruition of a long-term plan," Amelia Clifford, the relationships manager at Material Institute, said. Currently, the charity runs food education program 24 Carrot Gardens in 24 Tasmanian schools, mostly in the state's south. While largely run within the schools, the program also includes students coming to the Bridgewater site for workshops — but until now, all the cooking has had to occur outside, limiting the options. With this purpose-built kitchen, new opportunities for the students would open up, Ms Clifford said. Students going through the market garden have been sharing what they've learned — with the 'cuteamelons' a crowd favourite. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) "An immersive approach in a professional kitchen will be more impactful through first-hand participant experience of the seed-to-plate journey, harvesting food from the gardens only metres away," she said. " It will expand the students' skills … by being in a different type of cooking environment. So, professionally set up, engaging with community, serving and supporting. " It will be used by roughly 30 students a week for the workshops, and the team hopes the infrastructure will also encourage more schools to get involved. The kitchen will also be used for food preparation and catering for local community events. Setting up healthy habits early Tasmanian Community Fund chairperson Ric de Santi with Material Institute horticulturalist Louise Sales. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) The construction of the kitchen was aided by a grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund, which said it was exactly the kind of project it seeks to support. "It's fabulous — to be able to grow the food, cook it in a commercial kitchen environment and then share it," chairperson Ric de Santi said. " It teaches you skills that hopefully inspires some of the children to look at food and beverage or hospitality careers, of which there's plenty of opportunity in Tasmania. " Students will be shown how to harvest vegetables from the on-site market garden, and turn them into tasty dishes to share. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Mr de Santi said setting up healthy habits early and teaching students about where their food came from was vital for setting up "healthy habits into the future". "This project brings young people, children, family and the community together around growing, preparing and sharing healthy and nutritious, affordable food." More plans on the horizon While initially the kitchen will be put to use for school workshops and existing public event offerings, Ms Clifford said its purpose would not end there. She said there were also opportunities to engage older high school students who were looking for pathways beyond the classroom, with formal hospitality training and apprenticeships. Ms Clifford said having a space where young people could get a glimpse at what a career in the sector could look like, and to learn under industry professionals, was "essential". " It gives exposure to all different opportunities and different professionals in the space, different people they can interact with and things to look forward to in their future life as adults. " Kirsha Kaechele (centre) wants children to be inspired by the kitchen. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden ) Photo shows Three people in a science class. When Kirsha Kaechele randomly surveyed a group of teenagers about their interests, she was surprised to hear "beauty" topped their lists. It inspired her to build a lab that teaches science through beauty products. Charity founder Kirsha Kaechele — who is also an artist and curator at Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and wife of owner David Walsh — said she wanted the kitchen to be a place that students could be proud to access. She said ensuring it was aesthetically beautiful and that the students felt they were actively contributing to the program was a key part of that. "I want them to be inspired. I want them to feel proud, I want them to walk in and say 'wow' and then take charge — just take over and run the place," Ms Kaechele said. Down the line, a future goal is also to open up the space more broadly to the public as a social enterprise cafe. "The idea is to really lift young people up and give them the opportunity to build real skills — running a business, preparing the food, hospitality, just all aspects of what a cafe has to offer," Ms Kaechele said.
