The EPA regulates finfish farming at marine farming leases MF281 Yellow Bluff, MF261 Trumpeter Bay (western Storm Bay) and MF279 West of Wedge Island (eastern Storm Bay).
The location of the above finfish farms and associated environmental licences can be accessed via the
EPA Regulated Premises layer on LISTmap. See our
Site Information page for details.
The
Marine Farming Development Plans for the region are available on the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania website.
Environmental Licence Renewals
On 15 January 2024, the EPA decided to renew for a 5-year period the environmental licences in the Storm Bay Regional Area due to expire on 30 November 2023.
Environmental licences and conditions can be accessed via the
EPA Regulated Premises layer on LISTmap.
Management Determinations and Directions
The EPA issues Environmental Licences and makes determinations under the
Environmental Standards for Tasmanian Marine Finfish Farming 2023. This includes determinations of Regional Areas and the setting of Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO). TPDNO determinations also provide a share (apportionment) of the total TPDNO to each company that has active Environmental Licences for marine finfish farming in the Regional Area.
Determination of Storm Bay Regional Area
Marine finfish farming in areas within Storm Bay has previously been assessed and monitored under different programs. Ongoing research has made it apparent that a monitoring strategy that is integrated across all habitats in the Storm Bay region is required to adequately detect any potential effects of marine finfish farming and to implement improved management.
In order to ensure all significant benthic and pelagic habitats in all relevant parts of the Storm Bay Region are monitored the EPA has determined the Storm Bay Regional Area. This will enable improvements to the Broadscale Environmental Monitoring Program (BEMP) and the determination of Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Outputs (TPDNO).
On 14 November 2023, the EPA Director, pursuant to Section 2(1) of the Environmental Standards, has determined that the Storm Bay Regional Area includes:
All areas south of the entrance to the River Derwent, south of the entrance to Frederick Henry Bay and north of a line drawn across the southward extent of Storm Bay.
Determination of the Storm Bay Regional Area under Section 2(1) of the Environmental Standards for Tasmanian Marine Finfish Farming 2023(PDF 215Kb)
Biogeochemical modelling of salmon farming scenarios for Storm Bay Regional Area
In 2020, the CSIRO commenced a four-year research project to develop a biogeochemical model for Storm Bay and to run modelling scenarios investigating potential environmental effects from expansion of salmon farming in Storm Bay and Nubeena. The EPA has reviewed CSIRO’s final project report released in March 2023 (Storm Bay Biogeochemical Modelling Final Report March 2023) and has prepared the following report in its consideration of setting a sustainable level of salmon farming within the Storm Bay Regional Area.
EPA Analysis of the FRDC Project No. 2017-215 Final Report Storm Bay Biogeochemical Modelling and Information System March 2023(PDF 5Mb)
CSIRO's modelling project looked at three different levels of salmon farming expansion within Storm Bay and provided information on the range of potential environmental impacts that may be caused by the three levels of expansion. The EPA has reviewed the project information and is satisfied that the first level of farming expansion investigated in the project is clearly within the assimilative capacity of the environment. The above EPA analysis report proposes a staged approach to growth in finfish farming, such that the comprehensive environmental monitoring program across Storm Bay will allow the EPA to track environmental performance using multiple lines of evidence to ensure that finfish farming continues to remain within the assimilative capacity of the environment during expansion.
The main form of pollution that comes from salmon farming is from the dissolved nitrogen contained within the fish wastes. Salmon feed contains high levels of nitrogen to help the fish grow, and this nitrogen can cause environmental impacts once the feed has been eaten and some of the nitrogen is released from the salmon as waste products. Because dissolved nitrogen waste is the main water pollutant from salmon farming, the EPA manages salmon farming environmental impacts by limiting the amount of dissolved nitrogen waste that can be released from salmon grown within a defined area or region. The first level of farming expansion investigated by CSIRO involved 1,590 tonnes of dissolved nitrogen output per year (referred to as Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO)) for all salmon farms within Storm Bay. The CSIRO modelling project also investigated dissolved nitrogen outputs of 2,295 tonnes per year and 3,180 tonnes per year.
The EPA requires all salmon farming companies to undertake a comprehensive environmental monitoring program within Storm Bay, Nubeena, Frederick Henry Bay and Norfolk Bay and the results of this monitoring will allow the EPA to track environmental performance to ensure that salmon farming does not cause significant impacts on the environment. Under a staged approach managed by the EPA, salmon farming companies would only be allowed to increase the amount of salmon that they farm once they have shown that the current level of farming is not having a significant impact on the environment and that all environmental licence requirements are satisfied.
The EPA Director has written to the aquaculture companies and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania about the proposed staged approach to TPDNO increases and is currently considering the responses received.
MF281 Yellow Bluff
Environmental Licence (EL) monitoring and reporting conditions for salmon fish farm lease MF281 Yellow Bluff include Broadscale Environmental Monitoring (BEMP) Report, Benthic Survey Report, an Annual Environmental Review Report and Antibiotic Residue Monitoring.
EL reports for MF281 Yellow Bluff
2022-23
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2022-2023 (PDF 15Mb)
2021-22
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2021-2022 (PDF 15Mb)
MF281 Annual Environmental Review Report 2021-2022 (PDF 569Kb)
MF281 Benthic Survey Report 2021-2022 (PDF 3Mb)
MF281 Water Quality Performance Report 2021-2022 (PDF 1Mb)
MF281 Yellow Bluff Antibiotic Residue Monitoring Final Report June 2022 (PDF 2Mb)
Medicated feed containing antibiotics (active ingredient: Trimethoprim) was applied at 12 pen bays over a 10-day period in January 2022 at the Yellow Bluff finfish farm in the Storm Bay. This measure became necessary due to an infection with
Vibrio anguillarum. These events were supported by relevant Veterinary Authorisations (VAs) and were subject to comprehensive monitoring requirements stipulated by the EPA. Sampling of wild fish and sediment occurred on three occasions between 31 January and 9 May 2022.
2020-21
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2020-2021(PDF 14Mb)
MF281 Yellow Bluff Annual Environmental Review Report 2020-2021(PDF 533Kb)
MF281 Water Quality Performance Report 2020-2021(PDF 2Mb)
2019-20
MF281 Yellow Bluff Annual BEMP Report 2019-2020(PDF 8Mb)
MF281 Annual Environmental Review Report 2019-2020(PDF 1Mb)
MF281 Benthic Survey Report 2019-2020(PDF 9Mb)
MF279 West of Wedge Island
Environmental Licence (EL) reporting conditions for salmon fish farm lease MF279 West of Wedge Island include Broadscale Environmental Monitoring (BEMP) Report, Benthic Survey Report, and an Annual Environmental Review Report.
EL reports for MF279 West of Wedge Island
2022-23
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2022-2023 (PDF 15Mb)
2021-22
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2021-2022(PDF 15Mb)
MF279 Annual Environmental Review Report 2021-2022(PDF 1Mb)
MF279 Benthic Survey Report 2021-2022(PDF 3Mb)
MF279 Water Quality Performance Report 2021-2022(PDF 2Mb)
2020-21
MF279 and MF281 BEMP Annual Report 2020-2021(PDF 14Mb)
MF279 West of Wedge Island Annual Environmental Review Report 2020-2021(PDF 1Mb)
MF279 Water Quality Performance Report 2020-2021(PDF 1Mb)
MF279 Benthic Survey Report 2020-2021(PDF 3Mb)