‘Paltry fines’ no deterrent to fish debris

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397 FINES of a few hundred dollars are being relied upon to encourage Tasmania’s billion dollar aquaculture industry to keep fish farm debris out of the state’s waterways.

Right to Information documents released by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment detail the number and value of marine debris fines issued to Tasmanian fish farms.

No fines were issued from 2014 and 2016. In 2017 one $628 fine was issued to a shellfish farm.

In 2018 there were four fines totalling $2445 to finfish farms. This year there were nine fines totalling $5928, two to shellfish farms and seven to finfish farms.

There were also 11 fines for “minor breaches” issued in 2019.

These fines totalled $7232, with three issued to shellfish farms and eight to finfish farms. This compared to four fines totalling $2445 issued last year.

Greens environment spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the data confirmed the State Government’s “paltry fines” were no deterrent on salmon farming marine debris.

“There are regular hazard alerts from Coast Radio Hobart, and ongoing reports of ropes and large plastic farming debris in waterways and along coastlines,” she said.

Dr Woodruff said with an average penalty of $644, the fines were “as effective as a fly against a rhino”.

“For context, the major two companies, Huon and Tassal, made a combined $227 million profit over the same period

“Unless the Liberals stand up to the salmon industry and increase the levels of fines issued and the number of enforcement officers, the hazard to boaters and the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment will just increase.”

A spokeswoman for the Tasmanian Salmonid Growers Association said fish farmers were committed to operating within government requirements and company voluntary best practices.

“The industry developed a Code of Practice for the Prevention, Control and Re-use of Marine Debris to provide guidelines for standard aquaculture practices in line with the State Government’s ‘zero tolerance’ to marine debris,” the spokeswoman said.

“Member companies have active programs in place to stop debris at the source and are also working together to undertake coastline cleanups.

“The salmon farming industry supports the enforcement of government regulations and legislation.”