The EPA is in the process of implementing new waste management requirements derived from the Government's Environmental Standards for Tasmanian Marine Finfish Farming into the environmental licences issued to salmon companies. These requirements include mortality weight reporting and preparation of Waste Management Plans that address specified waste streams generated during marine farming operations.
Monthly Mortality Weight Data
Mortalities affect salmon farming worldwide and are typically elevated during summer months, including in Tasmania, when warmer waters and other factors affecting salmon health are more likely to occur.
Salmon
mortality reporting conditions derived from the Government's Environmental
Standards for Tasmanian Marine Finfish Farming have been implemented
by the EPA. These conditions require the combined weight of deceased fish
from finfish farms to be reported within 10 business days of the end of each
month. A breakdown of tonnages reported, together with the different types of
waste receiving facilities, is shown in the table below. The EPA intends to
publish mortality weight information quarterly, approximately three weeks after
the end of each quarter.
December 2025 Tonnage | 728 | 84 | Nil | 438 | Nil
| 1,250 |
November 2025 Tonnage | 669 | 36 | Nil | 102 | Nil
| 807 |
October 2025 Tonnage | 279 | 99 | Nil | 74 | Nil | 452 |
September 2025 Tonnage | 330 | 47 | Nil | 29 | Nil | 405 |
August 2025 Tonnage | 284 | 65 | Nil | 62 | Nil
| 411 |
July 2025 Tonnage | 272 | 78 | Nil | 133 | Nil | 483 |
June 2025 Tonnage | 413 | 72 | Nil | 149 | ΝίΙ
| 634 |
May 2025 Tonnage | 438 | 152 | Nil | 238 | Nil
| 828 |
April 2025 Tonnage | 875 | 85 | Nil | 377 | Nil | 1,337 |
March 2025 Tonnage | 1,023 | 232 | Nil | 1,815 | 325 | 3,395 |
February 2025 Tonnage | 1,638 | 479 | 315 | 3,312 | 556 | 6,300 |
January 2025 Tonnage | 1,454 | 237 | Nil | 2,140 | Nil | 3,831
|
Waste Management Plans
Salmon companies are required to submit Waste Management Plans to the EPA Director for approval. The plans are to address: feed waste; medicated feed waste; fish mortalities within typical range; potential mass fish mortalities significantly above typical range; biofouling removed from vessels or infrastructure; nets and other marine finfish farm infrastructure waste; blackwater and greywater; bloodwater; fish bathing water; effluent resulting from the operation of reverse osmosis plants; vessel biosecurity washdown water containing disinfectant/chemicals.
The following plans have been approved by the EPA Director:
Huon Marine Operations Waste Management Plan Final January 2026 (PDF 3Mb)