Surf legend slams KI fish farm plans
FORMER world surfingg champion Tom Carroll has joined the opposition to a planned salmon farm for King Island.
The state’s largest salmon producer, Tassal, has obtained a permit to investigate the prospects of salmon farming in a 124sqkmkm area off Nine Mile Beach.
But locals have warned that Tassal will have a fight on iits hands if it pushes ahead with the plans.
Surfers have raised concerns about the proximity of the area to the renowned onshore surf break Martha Lavinia — considered one of the world’s best.
Carroll — who won the ASP World Tour in 1983 and 1984 and became the first surfing millionaire after signing a contract with Quiksilver in 1989 — has surfed at Martha many times.
In a video on social media, he said salmon farming should not be in the area.
“Come on Tasmania and King Island, are you kidding?” he said.
“This is the most pristine environment on the planet.
“The most beautiful beach breaks and the most beautiful beach that I’ve ever seen, so let’s think about this again, what are we doing to our environment.”
Tassal held its first public meeting on the island a few weeks ago.
Tassal’s head of aquaculture Mark Asman said it was extremely early in the overall procprocess regarding whether it wouwould be suitable for a salmon farfarm to be established off KKing Island.
“Ensuring we have appropriately consulted and considered the local community and other shared uusers of the farming waterwways also takes time,” he saisaid. “WWe understand how quicquickly concerns can arise in the absence of factual informationi and we are personally reaching out to surfers who would like more evidencebased research into wave physics associated with salmon farming activity.
“Our pens are purposely designed to allow the energy of the waves to pass through them.
“Ensuring safe operations that have minimal impact on shared waterways is imperative to our company and our people. They live and recreate in these areas too.”
Environmental monitoring on the site is expected to begin soon.