These are the competing narratives surrounding Tasmanian salmon producers recent announcement of plans to double the industry's scale by 2030. Salmon aquaculture in Tasmania was a $350 million dollar industry in 2009, and demand has only skyrocketed since, bolstered by advertising campaigns highlighting the pristine Tasmanian coastline and health benefits of a high-omega-3 diet. To meet this demand without overfishing wild populations, aquaculture scientists breed baby salmon in hatcheries and grow them offshore in circular pens, which can hold up to 50,000 fish a piece.
Clearly any industry of this scale will have some environmental costs. Activist groups have used underwater footage of cloudy water near the fish pens to show that faeces and fish feed are contaminating the water. One major concern is Tasmania's kelp forests, like those near Lady Bay south of Hobart, which are home to abalone (an important rival industry) and an important habitat for many species of fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. Health is also a concern, as some aquaculture opponents argue the antibiotics given to farmed fish can cause health problems for humans, including breeding anti-biotic-resistant superbugs.
Critics urge a halt to salmon expansion until monitoring and coastal planning mechanisms are in place to protect these ecosystems. One possible sign of hope comes from new technologies aimed at making aquaculture more sustainable, including off-shore pens situated near currents that can diffuse the concentration of nutrients generated by feed and fish waste.
Here are two articles: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-30/controversial-plans-to-expand-tasmanian-farmed-salmon-industry/5780140 and http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2009/s2766962.htm - Aaron Peterson
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