Legislative Council Thursday 8 August, 2019

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to the expansion of open net-pen salmon farming into Storm Bay- 

(1) Have all the baseline surveys been completed? If not - 

(a) which surveys have been completed

(b) at which sites have these surveys been completed

(c) when will all surveys be completed?

(2) Has a biosecurity plan been finalised? 

(3) Have protocols been established regarding disease outbreaks and quarantine measures?

(4) Has the biogeochemical model used to understand and set the nutrient carrying capacity allowable mass been completed?

(5) Has the EPA's salmon standard, which sets consistent criteria for operations, monitoring, and reporting, been completed? If not, have or will fish be introduced into the pens before this work is completed?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Murchison for her question.

(1) Baseline surveys are ongoing. 

(a) Larger-scale zone assessment surveys were completed during the Marine Farm Planning Process and a baseline survey for an individual lease within zones has been completed.

(b) A baseline environmental survey for MF281, east of Yellow Bluff, is completed and has been approved by the EPA.

(c) A baseline environmental survey for MF279, west of Wedge Island, is required to be completed and approved prior to the introduction of fish within the lease area. A marine farming lease has not been issued to Petuna in the Storm Bay North Marine Farming Development Plan. A completed baseline environmental survey will be required by the EPA prior to fish being permitted to be introduced in any lease area in this marine farming development plan.

(2) An industry-wide biosecurity plan has been developed by industry. Work is underway to implement the plan under the new Biosecurity Bill through a program and associated regulations, when it is in place. 

Management controls identified in relevant Storm Bay marine farming development plans currently require fish farm operators to supply biosecurity and farm health plans for approval by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Chief Veterinary Officer prior to the introduction of fish. 

(3) Protocols regarding disease outbreaks and quarantine procedures are part of the aforementioned industry-developed Biosecurity Plan. All currently licensed finfish marine farming operators in Storm Bay have provided, and have had approved by the DPIPWE Chief Veterinary Officer, a biosecurity and fish health plan.

(4) The biogeochemical modelling for Storm Bay is ongoing. The FRDC 2017-15 Storm Bay modelling and information system program being undertaken by CSIRO commenced in October 2018 and is due for completion in October 2021.

(5) The Environmental Protection Authority environmental standard is being drafted and an issue paper will go out for industry and public consultation shortly. Once consultation has occurred and the standard is finalised, the standard will be released and industry will be required to comply.

(6) Finfish were introduced into the new Storm Bay lease in July 2019. Until the new environmental standard is finalised and incorporated into environmental licence for leases, finfish farm operators statewide, including those in Storm Bay, are required to comply with the conditions contained within the existing environmental licence for each lease.