Over 5,500 tonnes of salmon, about 6% of the industry’s annual production, was dumped last month amid a mass mortality event affecting Tasmanian fish farms.
At an average weight of 4kg per fish, the figure could equate to more than one million whole salmon being disposed of.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has launched an investigation into the fish deaths, which are being attributed to the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis.
Acting EPA Director Cindy Ong said the investigation began last month after chunks of “congealed fish oil” were found washed up on Verona Sands beach.
“The 2024-25 summer season saw a significant increase in mortality notifications in the southern region compared to previous years,” Ong said in a statement on Thursday evening.
She said the EPA received “hundreds of pen notifications in February in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel region alone”.
“The EPA has recently imposed new environmental licence conditions that require monthly reporting of the combined weight of deceased fish arising from marine finfish farms, with the first of these reports expected later this month,” Ong said.
“The conditions also require deceased fish to be removed from pens as soon as practicable and the waste must be transported by a controlled waste transporter and taken to a site approved by either the EPA or local council.”
“Data for the month of February shows over 5,500 tonnes of salmon mortality waste was received across a number of these facilities.”
Ong confirmed that all dumping sites receiving a share of the waste are under continuous inspection.
Several facilities have been found non-compliant with requirements outside of permitted quantity limits and will likely face “enforcement action”.
