The EPA currently regulates finfish farming at four marine farming leases in the Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay region.
The location of these finfish farms and associated environmental licences can be accessed via the EPA Regulated Food Production and Animal and Plant Processing Premises layer on LISTmap. See our Site Information page for details.
The Marine Farming Development Plan for the region is available on the Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania website.
Environmental Licence Renewals 2026
On 3 August 2026, the Director decided to renew the environmental licence for the Long Bay lease in Port Arthur until 30 November 2027.
The Director's decision has been made in accordance with the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA) and is based on more than 10 years of environmental monitoring, scientific research and the best available contemporary scientific evidence. In making the decision, the Director considered monitoring undertaken by the EPA, industry and independent scientific organisations, together with public submissions and other relevant information.
The scientific evidence shows that water quality across the broader Port Arthur receiving environment has not been diminished. More than a decade of monitoring demonstrates that Port Arthur, Long Bay and adjacent waters are strongly influenced by natural oceanic water exchange. The science also demonstrates that local environmental conditions within the shallower areas of Long Bay are more affected by natural seasonal factors such as sunshine, warmer temperatures and potentially reduced flushing compared to the broader Port Arthur Region.
The monitoring demonstrates localised changes in water quality immediately adjacent to the fish farm during periods when the lease is stocked, particularly elevated ammonia levels. However, these effects reduce when the lease is fallowed each year.
Long-term monitoring indicates chlorophyll (a measure of algal growth), and dissolved oxygen levels have generally remained within established investigative trigger values (which represent historical water quality) since 2021.
Evidence from seabed, reef and habitat monitoring indicates benthic sediments remain within a healthy range and reef communities have remained stable. Monitoring has identified localised nutrient enrichment indicators close to the lease, but there has been no evidence of worsening reef condition over time. Instead, several key nutrient enrichment indicators, including filamentous and turfing algae, show declining trends since 2022.
The Director also considered the effectiveness of the Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO), introduced in 2023, which reduced dissolved nitrogen outputs by approximately 20 per cent. Monitoring since its introduction shows indications of improving environmental conditions, while the TPDNO continues to provide an important regulatory mechanism to further manage environmental impacts if required.
The Director has provided a Statement of Reasons outlining the basis for the decision to renew the environmental licence with updated licence conditions.
Statement of Reasons for Renewal of Environmental Licence No. 9959/5 (PDF 386Kb)
Additional information that the Director has considered under section 42T(5) of EMPCA during her decision-making process in renewing this environmental licence is found below:
Relevant Information Under section 42T(5) MF55 Long Bay 2026 (PDF 3Mb)
For further details regarding environmental licence conditions, all environmental licences can be accessed via the EPA Regulated Premises layer on LISTmap.
Environmental Licence Renewals 2023
On 15 December 2023, the Director decided to renew for a 2-year period the environmental licence for the Long Bay lease in the Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay region.
The Director has provided a Statement of Reasons that outlines the Director's reasons for renewing this environmental licence.
Statement of Reasons - Environmental Licence Renewal - Tassal - Long Bay MF55, December 2023 (PDF 156Kb)
Additional circumstances that the Director has considered under section 42T(5) of EMPCA during his decision-making process in renewing this environmental licence are found below:
Circumstances for consideration under section 42T(5) - MF55 Long Bay (PDF 548Kb)
For further details regarding environmental licence conditions, all environmental licences can be accessed via the EPA Regulated Premises layer on LISTmap.
Broadscale Environmental Monitoring Program Reports
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2023-2024 (PDF 20Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2022-2023 (PDF 17Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2021-2022 (PDF 13Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2020-2021 (PDF 11Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2019-2020 (PDF 9Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2018-2019 (PDF 10Mb)
Annual Broadscale Monitoring Report for the Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan - 2017-2018 (PDF 7Mb)
Management Determinations and Directions
The EPA issues Environmental Licences and makes determinations and directions under management controls specified in Marine Farming Development Plans. This includes the setting of Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO) for marine finfish farming regions and imposing requirements for environmental monitoring. 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 region.
Marine Farming Lease No. 55 Long Bay
In response to concerns about nuisance algae in Port Arthur, the EPA commissioned the University of Tasmania Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in 2020 to undertake rapid visual assessment surveys and stable isotope analysis on reef ecosystems in Long Bay and across the broader Port Arthur region.
The purpose of these surveys was to:
- evaluate the condition of inshore rocky reef ecosystems in Long Bay and the broader Port Arthur region; and
- investigate potential nutrient enrichment from the finfish farm located at the southern end of Long Bay.
IMAS submitted an initial report - Rapid visual assessment of rocky reef assemblages in Port Arthur, February 2022 - to the EPA on 26 July 2022 following external scientific peer review. IMAS repeated the surveys in January and June 2022 and provided a presentation to EPA following completion of data analysis by IMAS. The 2022 survey results were consistent with those identified in the 2021 surveys.
Surveys of rocky reefs showed the effects of significant nutrient enrichment at sites 100m from the farm and 400m to the west of the farm. The study also showed that the Long Bay salmon farm is a source of nutrients to the rocky reefs at 100m and 400m from the farm.
Determination of Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output
In response to the IMAS inshore reef study, the BEMP results shown above and
independent water quality monitoring results, EPA has imposed a Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO) determination on Marine Farming Lease No. 55 at Long Bay (MF55). The determination was made on 7 July 2023, and takes effect from 1 August 2023 until 31 July 2026. This determination was reviewed on 5 July 2024 to specify the TPDNO for a recurring fixed 12-month period, commencing on 1 August 2024.
The TPDNO reduced the annual finfish feed inputs by approximately 20% compared to levels from 2019 to 2023.
Determination TPDNO MF55 Long Bay (PDF 91Kb)
Statement of Reasons - MF55 Long Bay TPDNO Determination and Monitoring Direction (PDF 378Kb)
Direction to monitor reefs
The Director imposed additional monitoring requirements for MF55 to assess the effectiveness of the TPDNO determination in reducing the organic enrichment effects on the inshore rocky reef assemblages within Long Bay. The direction was made on 7 July 2023. The direction is ongoing and will be reviewed biennially by EPA.
Direction Reef and Water Quality monitoring MF55 Long Bay (PDF 2Mb)
Reef monitoring reports
Rapid visual surveys of reef habitats in Long Bay show signs of nutrients affecting seaweed communities near the farm.
Higher levels of nuisance green, red and turfing algae were observed at sites closest to the farm (within 100 metres), compared to sites further away.
However, monitoring results from 2024 and 2025 show no significant change in algae levels over time. This indicates that nutrient enrichment associated with the farm has remained stable, and has not increased.
Rapid visual assessment of rocky reef assemblages in Port Arthur October 2025 (PDF 6Mb)