Proud to Be Part of a Sustainable & Progressive Salmonid Industry

Rod Shelley, Huon’s Business Development Manager of Export, recently took time out of his busy schedule to put words to paper and explain why he is proud to be part of Tasmania’s vibrant aquaculture industry. Rod has a long history working with, and for, Tasmania’s seafood producers so brings a unique perspective backed by years of first-hand knowledge to inform the current debate.

My name is Rod Shelley and I’m a secondgeneration salmon industry professional, whose family has been involved in various capacities, from the early days of the industry in the 1980s. I have also worked in other parts of the seafood sector, including wild catch, aquaculture, retail and hospitality. I am a Director of the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council, and passionate about the broader Tasmanian seafood industry, and the communities it supports and relies upon.

–I feel it’s important for the broader community to hear from someone who’s livelihood is derived from this industry, but at the same time, can explain in plain language, how much we care for the fish we grow, the environment the fish flourish in, and how proud we are to be part of it. –

–Rod Shelley –

My own experience with salmon and trout commenced in 1989, when I had a summer job in a processing plant in Dover. Well before automation, my job was to gut the fish by hand. This job is now performed by efficient, automated equipment, which in itself, proves that automation does not necessarily cost jobs. Continuous improvement and advancement in seafood farming and processing technology has allowed companies to become more efficient in many aspects of their operations and develop their businesses further. This has generated more employment, to the point where thousands of Tasmanians are now involved directly or indirectly within the industry. I grew up holidaying, camping and fishing in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Bruny Island, Huon River and Tasman Peninsula. I still visit many of these areas with my family and it’s still as beautiful as ever and our marine life has never been more prolific. You only have to look at social media on any given day in Tasmania, to see images or videos of dolphins, whales and other marine species, filmed by locals or tourists, as they ply our coastal waters. This is sign of a very healthy marine ecosystem and food chain, from the smallest organisms, bait fish, pelagic fish to the larger mammals. One of the myths recently espoused is the condition of the seabed, with ridiculous claims of “piles of poo” beneath salmon pens. I can assure readers this is simply not the case. Farming operations and feeding regimes are carefully managed to ensure seabed conditions remain within strict Government regulations. Seabed surveys must be conducted to a prescribed schedule and provided to the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) for evaluation, as part of the many strict conditions of the marine leases.

My family eats salmon and trout regularly and I can assure you it is 100 per cent safe, healthy and sustainable. Some of the recent commentary from salmon farming opponents has suggested the Tasmanian industry is not keeping up with industry best practice compared with other salmon growing regions of the world. Nothing could be further from the truth.

–Dolphins in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel –

–Many of the practices now in use overseas, were pioneered, tested and proven in practice, by the Tasmanian industry. –

Huon, in conjunction with another Tasmanian contractor developed the swim-through pneumatic stunning harvest technique now used all over the world. The patented “Fortress Pens” designed by Huon have allowed salmon farming to move further offshore in Tasmania, and this technology is now being adapted in other salmon growing regions in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. I have been asked why we don’t grow the salmon to full size on land. A great question. For salmon to reach full maturity and grow to a marketable size, they need to spend a percentage of their life in saltwater. This is where it becomes challenging. With a freshwater recirculating aquaculture system, the water can continue to be filtered and re-used over and over again, with the waste product utilised for agricultural purposes. With a saltwater recirculating system, the saltwater eventually needs to be discarded. In the land-based saltwater facilities currently in operation overseas, they are discarding the saltwater either directly into the coastal water adjacent to the facility or in some cases into underground aquifers. Under Tasmanian environmental regulations, it is not permitted to discard saltwater from a facility of this nature. Many of our vocal opponents are regularly invited to visit our operations and see it for themselves, but often they choose not to. It is a little bewildering those who wish to speak so loudly against the industry don’t feel it’s important to be well informed on the subject. I am very proud to walk down the street in my Huon uniform, knowing that I’m part of a sustainable business, but sadly some of my colleagues have been nervous about doing so recently. It is a sad indictment on our society that complete strangers feel they have a right to verbally attack someone just because of the uniform they wear and the company they work for. This is not okay. This is like attacking a public servant because you don’t like the policies of the government. This must stop. If people have concerns about the industry, please take the time to seek more information, ask questions, go to the individual business websites and if you are still concerned, contact the business yourself and request more detail. In doing so, I am confident people will be assured the Tasmanian salmon and trout they feed their families is not only 100 per cent safe, but it also supports thousands of their fellow Tasmanians.

–A salmon grown in Whale Point –