Tassal salmon farm at Macquarie Harbour. (Photo: Tassal)
Tassal may lose ASC certification
AUSTRALIA
Monday, May 22, 2017, 08:30 (GMT + 9)
Salmon producer Tassal has been given three months to clean up Macquarie Harbour salmon-farming leases or it risks losing Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification for aquaculture practices.
The firm received ASC warning following a report by auditors for the certifying body that revealed it has failed to comply with 19 requirements for certification at two sites in Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's west coast, ABC reported.
The main detected issues are related to failure to comply with Marine Farming Licence conditions, listing ecosystem function, community engagement and legal compliance as areas of failure.
Meanwhile, representatives of the company stated the issues identified are the same ones it has been working to address since January.
"This is simply the next step in the process of working towards our certification," it said in a statement. Tassal has very good compliance across all its other sites and an adaptive management system in place to support a strong process of continuous improvement,” their statement read.
For her part, Strategy Director for Environment Tasmania Laura Kelly said the report was proof Tassal's fish were being "kept in conditions where there isn't enough oxygen for the fish to breathe".
The director believes that even though Tassal looks set to lose their sustainability certification for breaking state laws, the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) still refuses to take any compliance action against the firm's ongoing breaches.
For his part, EPA director Wes Ford said the authority was reviewing the report and pointed out Tassal had been given initial approval to stock the leases further with fish, as long as they installed tarpaulins underneath the pens to prevent the spread of fish waste, which causes beggiatoa.
"At the moment I'm satisfied [Tassal] are operating in a manner that is both within the standards set by the ASC and under the Marine Farm Licensing requirements," he concluded.
Related articles:
- Tassal to trial waste collection system in Macquarie
- Tassal’s statements on Macquarie improvements sound unconvincing to authorities
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