Salmon farms in the southeast region of the Australian state of Tasmania are dealing with what a recent video by Salmon Tasmania calls “unprecedented” salmon mortalities.
“Currently, we’re going through a situation in the southeast of the state where we’re seeing unprecedented mortalities at some of the leases,” Salmon Tasmania Technical Director Matt Barrenger said in a video posted to Salmon Tasmania’s Facebook page. “Our farmers are working really hard around the clock to try and work through that situation.”
The video was created by Salmon Tasmania, Huon, and Tassal Salmon and was meant to address the ongoing issues in the area.
According to Salmon Tasmania, salmon farmers in the area are struggling with a bacteria called RLO, or Rickettsia-like organisms. The bacteria occurs naturally in the local environment and isn’t known to be harmful to wild fish or humans.
However, it can cause salmon mortality.
“This situation has been extremely distressing for everyone in the industry, and we know it is concerning for the broader community,” Salmon Tasmania said in a statement.
According to Huon Aquaculture Fish Production Manager Tori Percival, salmon farmers in the region are now battling a new strain of RLO.
“It’s important that we acknowledge we are also in the summer period, which adds additional challenge with high water temperatures, but this isn’t the first time that the industry has faced a challenge like this and we will get through this,” Percival said.
According to Salmon Tasmania, the industry developed a new vaccine last year for the strain of RLO impacting salmon in the southeast, which will benefit future fish stocks.
Under Australian regulations, salmon farms are required to report mortalities to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) if mortality rates exceed a certain threshold. As early as January, the EPA received “several notifications” about elevated mortality rates, Pulse Tasmania reported.
Salmon Tasmania said the companies are working to use the mortalities for byproducts like pet feed and fish oils but that it is also working to dispose of the salmon in waste management facilities if they can’t be processed.
“While sending this organic material to landfill is a last resort in the waste hierarchy, it is sometimes necessary when other forms of disposal are unavailable,” Salmon Tasmania said.
The statements by Salmon Tasmania come as news organizations like the Syndey Morning Herald share video of salmon being disposed of, contributed via the Bob Brown Foundation.
