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Salmon Aquaculture

EPA Tasmania is responsible for ensuring contemporary environmental regulation of the Salmon industry.

​​​​​​​​​​EPA Tasmania is responsible for ensuring contemporary environmental regulation of the Salmon industry. This includes the day to day environmental regulation of marine and land based salmon farms through evaluating and assessing compliance against environmental conditions set out in Environmental Licenses.  The EPA also provides input into the assessment process of marine farm developments that are undertaken in a separate government process.​

To ensure progressive improvement of environmental management and regulatory systems for industry the EPA provides scientific input and support to research conducted by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (UTas) and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation fish farm research projects. ​​​

  • Industry Regulation
    The Tasmanian salmon industry has experienced significant change and expansion in the last 20 years. To manage increasing potential for environmental impact and facilitate best practice environnmental management changes in governmental environmental regulatory processes have been implemented to ensure impacts on inland waters and the marine environment are reduced to an acceptable level and the health of the environment is protected.
  • Environmental Management
    A number of freshwater hatcheries and numerous marine farming leases are in operation around the State for salmon farming. A range of environmental regulation processes which were in place prior to the EPA taking responsibility for environmental regulation in mid 2016 have now been consolidated into Environmental Licences. Progressive improvements to the conditions for each premises are now occurring based on improvements in data and with industry input, to ensure contemporary environmental regulation of these facilities.
  • D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Huon and Port Esperance
    The area covered by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Huon River Marine Farming Development Plan October 2019 covers the stretch of water between Bruny Island and the mainland of Tasmania, running north south in orientation for approximately 50 km. It includes waters within the Huon River and Recherche Bay. To the north the Channel adjoins the Derwent Estuary and to the south the Southern Ocean.
  • Macquarie Harbour
    Macquarie Harbour is subject to a range of environmental conditions that influence its hydrology, water quality and benthic environment, which makes interpretation of observations in the context of salmon production particularly complex.
  • Okehampton Bay
    Okehampton Bay Marine Farming Lease #236 is located on the East Coast within the Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage Marine Farming Development Area. Currently the main lease holder is Spring Bay Seafoods Pty Ltd, with a portion subleased to Tassal Group Ltd. In the past, the lease was used for the farming of mussels and seaweed. Tassal received approval from the Marine Farming Planning Review Panel to farm finfish at the lease in February 2017.
  • Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay
    The area covered by the amended Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay Marine Farming Development Plan September 2018
  • Land Based Finfish Farms
    There are 20 inland fish farms operating in Tasmania that produce both salmon and trout. The majority of fish produced by these farms supply marine farms. The EPA regulates those inland fish farms holding over 2 tonnes at any one time or producing over 5 tonnes of fish per annum.

​Salmon Environmental Management Section
134 Macquarie Street
Hobart TAS 7000
Phone: 03 6165 4604
Email: Enquiries@epa.tas.gov.au