Huon Aquaculture is investing more than $100 million in boosting land-based salmon farming in southern Tasmania.
The $110 million project will see the expansion of the company’s Whale Point facilities with a new Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS).
Huon CEO Henry Batista said the investment will enable the company to grow bigger fish on land, meaning fish that go to sea will be larger and spend less time in the open waters.
“Huon salmon can already spend most of their lifecycle on land and this expansion strengthens our land-based farming capabilities,” Batista said.
“This investment will also further improve water use at Whale Point, increasing the amount of water recycled in the RAS to 99%.”
The project is expected to create around 150 construction jobs and support new roles in the Port Huon community when construction starts in early 2025, subject to approvals, with the aim of being fully operational by 2027.
“This investment allows us to utilise our existing land and offshore marine farming sites to meet growing demand for our premium Tasmanian salmon, while providing a significant boost for the construction industry and local businesses,” Batista said.
“We have about 140 employees across our nursery, net maintenance and marine operations based in Port Huon and this $110 million expansion will create another 8 full-time jobs, cementing Huon as one of the biggest employers in the region.”
Business, Industry and Resources Minister Eric Abetz said the state government welcomed Huon’s investment announcement.
“The expected benefits to the region from the construction and operational phases of this proposed world leading hatchery would be far-reaching, boosting regional employment, bolstering business confidence and giving the community certainty into the future,” he said.
Neighbours of Fish Farming Tasmania say Huon should be looking to move their operations entirely on-land.
“This announcement is nothing but greenwashing. This industry has no social licence,” spokesperson Jess Coughlan said.
“It is a long overdue and very marginal improvement in the industry’s operations as a whole.”
Labor leader Dean Winter said the additional capacity to grow fish on land “will improve environmental outcomes and also economic outcomes”.
“You can’t move all salmon onshore. It’s been tried once in the world unsuccessfully and right across the world, actually, salmon companies are moving to do exactly what Huon Aquaculture is doing.”
“What this means is that they can process more fish more effectively, employing more Tasmanians in a really good economic model for their business and also for Tasmania.”
