Tasmania''s salmon industry is on the verge of a major expansion worth tens of millions of dollars in Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast which will create over 200 jobs.
The minister for primary industries and water, Bryan Green, has approved plans by Tasmania's major salmon producers to increase marine farming leases which have the potential to triple production.
"Tasmania's salmon industry has been a great success story and the expansion will be a huge boost to the West Coast and the broader Tasmanian economy," Mr Green said.
The expansion is expected to pour more than $88 million into the regional economy in the first five years and create 100 jobs during the construction phase. A further 160 production and processing jobs will follow the expansion of the farming areas.
The partners in the project are Petuna Aquaculture, Tassal and Huon Aquaculture.
Mr Green said the environmental assessment of the expansion was the most extensive ever undertaken in Tasmania for a marine farming development.
Mr Green said the farming area would be increased to 926 hectares taking up 3.3% of the harbour, an increase of just over 1%. This is expected to make it the biggest in the country.
Salmon farming began in Macquarie Harbour in the late 1980s and production this year is expected to reach 8000t.
"The value of salmon production has increased by $250 million in the past five years, growing by almost $1 million a week,” Mr Green said. "Last year the industry produced over 30,000t of fish and now employs over 1000 people.”
