Add Category
Updated
The brand of Australia's largest salmon producer is on the line, with its certifier giving it three months to clean up its act at two leases or it risks losing its stamp of approval for aquaculture practices.
Key points:
- Tassal is playing down report, says issues same ones it has been working to address since January
- Environment Tasmania says product has come from marine dead zone, damaged World Heritage Area
- Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority is reviewing the report
A report by auditors for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has found Tassal has failed to comply with 19 requirements for certification at two sites in Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's west coast.
The major findings relate to a lack of compliance with Marine Farming Licence conditions, listing ecosystem function, community engagement and legal compliance as areas of failure.
It has raised issues with the spread of beggiatoa mats, an indicator of the impacts of fish farming on the environment.
The company is playing down the report, saying the issues identified are the same ones it has been working to address since January.
"This is simply the next step in the process of working towards our certification," it said in a statement.
"Tassal has very good compliance across all its other sites and an adaptive management system in place to support a strong process of continuous improvement.
"Please be aware Middle Harbour and Gordon sites are fully compliant with no beggiatoa at compliance points. Franklin is currently not stocked and recent in house surveys indicate it will soon return to full compliance."
Environment Tasmania's Laura Kelly said the report was proof Tassal's fish were being "kept in conditions where there isn't enough oxygen for the fish to breathe".
"Anyone buying Tassal salmon needs to know the product has come from a marine dead zone and has damaged the World Heritage Area. The product is far from clean and green," Ms Kelly said.
"It is astounding that Tassal looks set to lose their sustainability certification for breaking state laws, but the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) still refuses to take any compliance action against Tassal's ongoing breaches."
EPA director Wes Ford said the authority was reviewing the report.
We've increased laws to protect environment: Premier
Mr Ford said Tassal had been given initial approval to stock the leases further with fish, as long as they installed tarpaulins underneath the pens to prevent the spread of fish waste, which causes beggiatoa.
"At the moment I'm satisfied [Tassal] are operating in a manner that is both within the standards set by the ASC and under the Marine Farm Licensing requirements," he said.
Mr Ford said he did not believe Tassal had broken any state laws.
The EPA is reviewing the indicators it uses to detect the health of the harbour.
Premier Will Hodgman said the Government had strictly regulated the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour.
"We've increased the laws to protect our environment and to provide a more certain regulatory environment," Mr Hodgman said.
"We will regulate it strictly and expect all companies to abide by the law."
Earlier this year, Tassal was ordered to de-stock the Franklin lease in the harbour due to what has been described as a "dead zone" where all organisms in the sediment had been killed.
All fish have now been removed from the Franklin lease.
There are currently legal proceedings underway between Tassal's rival Huon Aquaculture and the state and federal governments over how many fish can be farmed in the harbour.
Last year, Huon Aquaculture was audited for its Storm Bay lease where it failed in areas such as the reporting of wildlife deaths.
Topics: government-and-politics, conservation, environment, fishing-aquaculture, business-economics-and-finance, tas
First posted