Marine Farming Debris
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What is marine farming debris?
Marine farming debris is any marine farming equipment located in State waters outside of a marine farming lease area, including foreshores, without authorisation. Examples of marine farming debris include buoys, pipes and ropes that have come adrift from marine farming operations.
How do I report marine farming debris?
If you see marine farming debris that poses a navigational hazard, please contact Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) on 0418 145 439.
If you see marine farming debris on the water or washed up on the shoreline, you can report your sighting to the Aquaculture Branch by sending an email to
mfops@nre.tas.gov.au or by using the online reporting form in the link below:
Where possible, your email should include:
Your full name and telephone number
Date, time and location of the marine farming debris (include GPS co-ordinates if available)
Description of the marine farming debris (include any specific identifying features, such as branding, text and colour)
Any other information that is relevant to the notification
Photos of the marine farming debris (date and time stamped if available)
Please note that we may not be able to investigate marine farming debris if the notification is anonymous.
If you collect the marine farming debris, please retain a sample to enable further investigation.
Reporting whale, dolphin or seal entanglement
If you find an entangled whale, dolphin or seal (dead or alive), please call the Department's Marine Conservation Program on the Whale Hotline: 0427 WHALES (0427 942 537).
Do not attempt to disentangle the animal - wild animals can present a significant safety risk.
Your personal information
Personal information collected from you will be used by the Department for the purpose of verifying information relating to a marine farming debris notification and investigating potential breaches of law relating to marine debris. All personal information will be managed in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2004 and the Department’s
Personal Information Protection Policy.
Your personal information will be used for the primary purpose for which it is collected but may be disclosed to the contractors and agents of the the Department, other law enforcement agencies including Marine and Safety Tasmania, Courts and other organisations authorised to collect it.
How is marine farming debris managed?
Marine farming operators are required under Marine Farming Development Plan management controls, lease and licence conditions to report any loss of equipment and make all reasonable efforts to recover marine farming debris as soon as is reasonably possible, identify floating marine farming equipment, supply to the Department a register identifying this equipment and notify MAST of any hazards to navigation.
Officers of the Aquaculture Branch also conduct shoreline inspections as part of its Compliance and Inspection Program.
Marine farming equipment located outside a lease area is a breach of s. 94(1)(b) of the
Marine Farming Planning Act 1995, and when applicable, Fisheries Officers of the Aquaculture Branch and/or Marine and Safety Tasmania take compliance action. Offences and their associated penalties under the
Marine Farming Planning Act 1995 are prescribed in the
Marine Farming Planning Regulations 2016. The penalty for marine farming equipment found outside a marine farming lease area is an infringement notice and fine. For a marine farming debris breach, the penalty of an infringement notice and fine equates to 4 penalty units. In 2021/22, this equals a fine of
$692.
Where are the marine debris clean-up data and infringement notices disclosed?
Marine debris clean-up data is collated by the finfish industry and reported to the Department on a quarterly basis. This information, along with any infringement notices, on the Tasmanian Salmon Farming Data Portal.