The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is closely monitoring the state’s salmon industry after reports of elevated mortality rates in salmon farms.
The EPA has received “several notifications” from salmon companies indicating that mortality rates in salmon pens have exceeded 0.25% for three consecutive days.
“Salmon companies are required to provide these notifications under their environmental licence conditions,” an EPA spokesperson told Pulse.
In a pen containing 50,000 fish, 125 or 0.25% must be affected within three consecutive days to trigger a report.
Salmon Tasmania’s Luke Martin said elevated mortality is “rare”.
He said it can be caused by various factors, including warm water temperatures, minor diseases and jellyfish blooms.
“All animal farmers experience mortalities and salmon companies have environment and fish health experts who manage conditions in line with Tasmania’s strict regulations and reporting requirements,” he said.
Industry opponents from the Bob Brown Foundation have called on Salmon Tasmania to publicly disclose exactly how many salmon are dying.
“If it was pigs or chickens on a farm dying in their thousands, due to lack of oxygen, disease or parasites and the only explanation was it was a normal part of operations, there would be outrage and the farm would be shut down immediately,” campaigner Alistair Allan said.
