Consistent with the National Aquaculture Strategy, the Tasmanian Government has set the objective to maximise the potential opportunity from aquaculture in adjacent Commonwealth waters including salmon, seaweed, shellfish and potentially other species.
The legislative and legal framework and related processes are being developed to provide for marine aquaculture research activities in adjacent Commonwealth waters that will be regulated and managed by the Tasmanian Government. This includes the potential first step of an aquaculture research trial conducted by the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre.
Over the longer term, legislative amendments, policy and administrative arrangements would need to be developed before any commercial scale aquaculture could occur in Commonwealth waters relevant to Tasmania.
Fisheries Management Arrangement for Aquaculture Research
On 1 April 2022, the Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water and the Australian Government Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry executed the arrangement between the Commonwealth and Tasmania in relation to marine farming research activities in the Australian Fishing Zone. This fisheries management arrangement is complemented by an MoU to support the implementation and operation of an aquaculture research trial in Commonwealth waters adjoining Tasmanian waters in Bass Strait.
MoU Aquaculture Research Trial Commonwealth Waters (PDF 494Kb)
S72 Arrangement - Aquaculture Research Trial Commonwealth Waters (PDF 194Kb)
MoU to support the National Aquaculture Strategy
On 27 September 2021, the Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water and the Australian Government Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Support the Implementation of the National Aquaculture Strategy Enabling Off-Shore Aquaculture in Adjoining Commonwealth Waters.
Aquaculture in Commonwealth Waters MoU (PDF 223Kb)
Offshore Aquaculture Research - Legislative Amendments
The Living Marine Resources Management Amendment (Aquaculture Research) Act 2022 passed the Tasmanian Parliament in March 2022 and is now law. The Act created the legislative framework required in Tasmania to enable aquaculture research in Commonwealth waters, adjoining Tasmanian State waters, managed under Tasmanian fisheries and aquaculture legislation.
Please refer to the consultation papers for further information.
Consultation paper - Living Marine Resources Management Amendment (Aquaculture Research) Bill 2021 (PDF 450Kb)
Summary report - Living Marine Resources Management Amendment (Aquaculture Research) Bill 2021 (PDF 148Kb)
Public submissions - Living Marine Resources Management Amendment (Aquaculture Research) Bill 2021 (PDF 1Mb)