Tasmanian salmon company announces major expansion

The key Australian salmon company Huon Aquaculture is expanding its Tasmanian farm at a cost of AUS $110 million (£78m)

The project will include a new recirculating aquaculture (RAS) system at its Whale Point facility in Tasmania.

Salmon farming has become something of a controversial issue among certain groups in Tasmania during the past year over claims that it is damaging the environment, but the investment has been widely welcomed in the state.

The project is expected to create at least 150 construction jobs and a number of extra company jobs in the Port Huon area. It should be fully operational within three years.

Huon CEO Henry Batista said the expansion would allow the company to grow larger fish on land.

This in turn would mean that fish going into the sea will be larger and would need to spend less time in open waters.

“Huon salmon already spend most of their lifecycle on land and this expansion strengthens our land-based farming capabilities,” the CEO added.

“This investment will also further improve water use at Whale Point, increasing the amount of water recycled in the RAS to 99%.”

CEO Batista added that the project would enable the company to use existing land and offshore marine sites.

Sally Doyle, the Mayor of Huon Valley, said the investment would be good for the area and she welcomes it, but she also stressed that the application would have to go through the proper planning process.

Huon Aquaculture became part of the large multi national meat processor JBS almost three years ago.