Macquarie Harbour

​​​Maximum Permissible Biomass

The Director, EPA has replaced the standing biomass determinations that were made by the Secretary, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania and the Director, EPA, for Macquarie Harbour.  Commencing 1 September 2022, the Director, EPA has introduced a more accountable system for limiting the production of finfish in Macquarie Harbour.  This determination specifies the harbour wide Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output (TPDNO), providing each company growing finfish in Macquarie Harbour with a share (apportionment) of the total TPDNO. The aim of this TPDNO determination is to build upon improvements in ecosystem function and dissolved oxygen levels that have been observed in Macquarie Harbour since 2017.

The rationale for changing from biomass limits to a TPDNO can be found here Rationale for changing management determination.

A statement of reasons supporting the Director, EPA’s decision for moving towards a TPDNO can be found here Statement of Reasons for TPDNO.

​Significant mortality event reported

A company has to immediately notify the Government of any significant illness, mortality or disease in their fish.

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

​Mortality within a cage >0.25% for three consecutive days

A company must report as soon as possible any suspected or known incidents of disease or mortality affecting greater than 0.25 per cent of fish per day for three consecutive days in any individual cage.

Where fish mortalities are not collected daily then the morts need to be averaged over the number of days between collection. For example if there are 1.2% morts collected today but it has been 4 days since the morts were collected then it has been 0.3%/day for 4 days (which is reportable) not one day at 1% (which is not reportable).

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

Seal mortalities

​A seal death that is attributable to salmon farming is defined as:
"A mortality caused by an interaction with marine farming activities, operations and infrastructure including but not limited to: entanglement, vessel strike, other infrastructure interaction, deterrent use, sedation, and humane destruction."

Whether or not a seal death was caused by salmon farming activities is determined on a case by case basis after assessing all of the facts.

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

​​​​​Marine Farm Inspections

There are a range of requirements that licence and lease holders must comply with. These are created by instruments such as legislation, licences, leases and Marine Farming Development Plans. The Government has an inspection program where authorised officers from Government or Marine and Safety Tasmania visit and inspect marine farms for compliance.  

Operations specific to the Marine Farming Inspection Program during Q1 and Q2 2020 were ​impacted by restrictions put in place as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.​

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

Infringements

When an infringement is detected, authorised officers from Government or Marine and Safety Tasmania may issue an infringement notice.

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

​​​​Marine Debris clean ups

As the population and industries expand, marine debris is a growing environmental and navigational issue for the waterway. Debris may come from lots of sources including:

• pleasure craft
• commercial vessels
• fish farming activities

Debris may also end up in the ocean from land, for example litter, and runoff from stormwater drains. Finfish and shellfish farmers monitor and remove marine debris from nominated shorelines through an ‘Adopt a Shoreline’ initiative. The Government also participates in shoreline clean up activities. This helps to ensure that any debris, whether marine farming related or not, is collected and Tasmania’s coastline is protected.  

In undertaking these activities, it is important to ensure that any sensitive bird breeding habitat is not impacted, and request that companies seek advice from BirdLife Tasmania prior to any targeted marine debris removal from sensitive bird breeding habitat during breeding season.  BirdLife Tasmania has provided guidance on where and when shorebirds may be most vulnerable and general operational limits are now in place from September 1st – March 31st with some shoreline areas classified as 'avoid disturbance' and others as 'minimise disturbance – seek advice'. As such, corresponding 'effort' through these periods may appear reduced in some marine farming areas.  Refer to the LISTmap layer ‘Bird breeding habitat and access recommendations’ for further information, which you can access here.

Operations and activities specific to the Marine Debris Clean ups program during Q1 and Q2 2020 were impacted by restrictions put in place as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

Marine Farming Equipment Register

The Government has developed an equipment identification register with the three salmon companies to enable ownership of debris to be established. Companies have assisted in this regard with gear marking and colour coding of equipment for identification purposes. The register is a statewide register of equipment.

​Fish escapes notified to NRE

Salmon farmers must not release into Tasmania’s waters any fish unless authorised to do so. If fish are released this is a breach of their licence and operators must notify Government.

The table below shows which companies have reported fish escapes to Government. Sometimes companies fail to report fish escapes, and this is a breach of their licence and they may be penalised.

Data from the current monitoring period

Quarter 1, 2024

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​HOG Weight

HOG Weight refers to the weight of a fish “Head On Gutted” and is how companies and the market refer to the weight of fish in a commercial setting.

Company specific production data is published on this site on a financial year basis.  Release of company specific production information for the 2023-24 financial year will occur after 1 July 2025.

Number of tonnes produced state-wide

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Employment Data

​Each company employs staff across Tasmania on both a permanent and casual basis.  

Number of Permanent staff state-wide​

Number of Casual staff state-wide