Company type | Subsidiary (formerly Public) |
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ASX: TGR (formerly) | |
ISIN | AU000000TGR4 |
Industry | Aquaculture |
Founded | 1986 |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | |
Products | |
Production output |
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Brands |
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Revenue |
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Number of employees | 1712 [3] (2021) |
Parent | Cooke Inc. |
Subsidiaries | De Costi Seafoods |
Website | tassal |
Tassal is a Tasmanian-based Australian salmon farming company founded in 1986. It was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) from 2003 until 2022. Tassal is the largest producer of Tasmanian grown Atlantic salmon, supplying salmon to both domestic and international markets. [4] [5] In November 2022, it was acquired by Canadian seafood company Cooke Inc. and delisted from the ASX. [6] [7]
As of 30 June 2021, Tassal employed a total of 1,712 people, with over 1,000 in Tasmania, 430 in NSW and 200 in Queensland. [3]
Operations in Queensland are focused on farming prawns. NSW operations also support the processing and distribution of seafood products other than salmon.
Tassal has five marine farming zones, where the standard pen has a volume of 11,600 cubic metres and holds enough salmon to produce 120 tonnes once harvested. Salmon are kept in these large sea cages between 12 and 18 months and continue to grow until they are ready to be harvested at an average weight of 5.0 kg live weight.[ citation needed ]
Tassal operates two hatcheries, with a third to be developed, it also has access to the selective breeding program operated by SALTAS on behalf of the Salmon industry in Tasmania.
Combined, they have the capacity to produce ten million smolt a year[ citation needed ]. These smolt come from broodstock from a Tasmanian-based industry selective breeding program. The Rookwood Road Hatchery and Nursery underwent an expansion in April 2016 to make it the biggest land-based salmon nursery in Australia with the capacity to produce approximately 8 million smolt per year. After 8–12 months at Rookwood Nursery, the smolt are transferred to sea. [9]
Tassal has four processing facilities, including a smokehouse, one retail outlet and a mobile salmon truck. [10] [11]
On 1 February 2005, Tassal acquired Aquatas from Webster. [12]
On 31 December 2007, Tassal announced it was acquiring the assets and intellectual property of Superior Gold from the King Island Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Foods, for $26.5m. [13]
On 1 July 2015, Tassal announced the acquisition of DeCosti Seafoods. [14]
In September 2018, De Costi Seafoods, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tassal Group, acquired the land, assets and inventory of the Fortune Group prawn aquaculture business. [15] [16]
On 16 August 2022, Tassal Group was acquired by the Canadian aquaculture company Cooke Inc. at 5.23 Australian dollars per share, or a total of 1.7 billion Australian dollars (1.19 billion US dollars). This was the third, highest offer Cooke Inc. made to Tassal. [17]
In 2012, Tassal and WWF announced the “WWF Australia and Tassal Sustainable Aquaculture partnership". [18]
Third party certification is currently provided by Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices, [19] Global Salmon Initiative. [20] [21]
In 2016, ABC News reported that Tassal would begin trials into farming three native seaweed species ( Lessonia corrugata , Ecklonia radiata and Macrocysts pyrifera ) alongside salmon and oyster on its farm leases to diversify the ecosystem of the farms. [22] The macroalgae farming in the salmon cages also absorb pollution, such as chemicals and parasites. [23]
Tassal became the 17th member of the Global Salmon Initiative in February 2018. In 2018, they moved towards 100% recycling of their hard and soft plastic. [24]
Communications between Tassal and the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) recorded several "unacceptable environmental impacts" from 2005 and 2009, something Greens leader Kim Booth called a "background of non-compliance." [25]
During November 2016, non-compliances were detected at leases in Macquarie Harbour, where three salmon companies farm. Tassal alerted the EPA to issues and subsequently destocked its Franklin lease in the Harbour. The lease was fallowed for 18 months, during which time Aquaculture Stewardship Council was not pursued for the lease as there were no fish in it. [26]
In May 2017, the ASC found Tassal had failed to comply with 19 requirements for ASC Certification in Macquarie Harbour. [27]
In February 9, 2017 a senate committee was established to investigate claims of witness tampering made in a 2016 episode of the investigative television program Four Corners . The show focused on the Tasmanian Salmon aquaculture industry and the local opposition to bay leases, with issues covered including environmental impact, health and sustainability practices of Tassal in particular. The episode included interviews with Dover mussel farmer Warwick Hastwell who accused Tassal of ruining his business. Located downstream from Tassel's main farm, mussels stopped growing there after being covered with orange tunicate, an invasive invertebrate that Hastwell believed originated from in-water cleaning of salmon pens. [28] [25] Hastwell claimed that Tassal had paid a lump sum for his leases and a confidentiality deed. Set to give evidence in a 2015 senate inquiry into the aquaculture industry, Tassal e-mailed Hastwell's lawyer, "We remind your clients of their obligations not to make disparaging statements whether in relation to the Senate Enquiry (sic) or to the media or otherwise." [29] [30] Hastwell did not appear during the senate inquiry. On February 8, 2017 Tasmanian Senator Stephen Parry told parliament that the Environment and Communications Committee reported, "Having taken the necessary steps, the committee has concluded that the witness may have been improperly influenced." [31]
On 26 April 2021, Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan published the controversial non-fiction book Toxic: The Rotting Underbelly of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry, which claimed to expose a range of unethical practices in the Tasmanian salmon industry. [32]
In May 2018, Tassal established a joint venture with Petuna to farm in Macquarie Harbour. The goal was to improve stocking strategies, bio-security and allow longer fallowing periods to protect the environment. [33]
Concerns have been raised by Tasmanian community groups, such as the organization Marine Protection Tasmania, over the use of antibiotics by the company, particularly regarding the fact that there is a legally required 1000 degree day antibiotic withdrawal period before a farm salmon is slaughtered, but "wild" salmon that is fished by the public may still be contaminated with antibiotic residue. A monitoring report by the Environment Protection Authority Tasmania (EPA) that was published in July 2022 found that after heavy antibiotic use in response to a vibrio outbreak in Tassal's Sheppards lease in January of that year, flathead salmon caught 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the boundary of Tassal's lease contained levels of antibiotics above the reportable threshold. Additionally, the World Health Organization has warned that antibiotics misuse contributes to antibiotic-resistant organisms developing, and that vaccination ought be used to prevent misuse. Tassal attempted to prevent the 2022 report, as well as another antibiotic residue monitoring report from September 2020, from being released to the public by the EPA. [34]
In 2017 Tassal confirmed its use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, [35] which was not used in humans in 2018 in Australia, and was rated as low importance by the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. [36]
Antibiotic use is audited annually by the ASC, whose standards forbid the use of antibiotics from the World Health Organization list of Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine. [37]
Usage as reported by Tassal, for each annual reporting period, [38] [39] and as reported by the EPA for each year in kilograms per year: [34]
Year | Antibiotic (g/t) | Antibiotic (kg/yr) |
---|---|---|
2003 | 285 | |
2004 | 996 | |
2005 | 878 | |
2006 | 4,536 | |
2007 | 9,295 | |
2008 | 4,007 | |
2009 | 3,281 | |
2010 | 1,337 | |
2011 | 239 | |
2012 | 48 | |
2013 | 391 | |
2014 | 408 | |
2015 | 32 | |
2016 | 800 | |
2017 | 17.16 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 54.73 | 2,139 |
2020 | 35.52 | 1,442 |
2021 | 0 | 146 |
2022 | 1,116 |
Tassal owns several brands, including:
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Aquaculture is also a practice used for restoring and rehabilitating marine and freshwater ecosystems. Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, is aquaculture in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food.
Mariculture, sometimes called marine farming or marine aquaculture, is a branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other animal products, in seawater. Subsets of it include, fish farms built on littoral waters, or in artificial tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater. An example of the latter is the farming of plankton and seaweed, shellfish like shrimp or oysters, and marine finfish, in saltwater ponds. Non-food products produced by mariculture include: fish meal, nutrient agar, jewellery, and cosmetics.
Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately 315 square kilometres (122 sq mi), and has an average depth of 15 metres (49 ft), with deeper places up to 50 metres (160 ft). It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by the presence of a rock wall on the outside of the channel's curve. This man-made wall prevents erosion and keeps the channel deep and narrow, rather than allowing the channel to become wide and shallow. A reported Aboriginal name for the harbour is Parralaongatek.
Whiteleg shrimp, also known as Pacific white shrimp or King prawn, is a species of prawn of the eastern Pacific Ocean commonly caught or farmed for food.
Mowi ASA, known as Marine Harvest ASA until January 1, 2019 and as Pan Fish prior to February 6, 2007, is a Norwegian seafood company with operations in a number of countries around the world. The company's primary interest is fish farming, primarily salmon, the operations of which are focused on Norway, Scotland, Canada, the Faroe Islands, Ireland and Chile. The group has a share of 25 to 30% of the global salmon and trout market, making it the world's largest company in the sector. Mowi also owns a 'value added processing' unit, which prepares and distributes a range of seafood products, and a number of smaller divisions.
This page is a list of fishing topics.
Aquaculture started to take off in New Zealand in the 1980s. It is dominated by mussels, oysters and salmon. In 2007, aquaculture generated about NZ$360 million in sales on an area of 7,700 hectares. $240 million was earned in exports.
Aquaculture in Australia is the country's fastest-growing primary industry, accounting for 34% of the total gross value of production of seafood. 10 species of fish are farmed in Australia, and production is dominated by southern bluefin tuna, Atlantic salmon and barramundi. Mud crabs have also been cultivated in Australia for many years, sometimes leading to over-exploitation. Traditionally, this aquaculture was limited to table oysters and pearls, but since the early 1970s, there has been significant research and commercial development of other forms of aquaculture, including finfish, crustaceans, and molluscs.
The aquaculture of salmonids is the farming and harvesting of salmonid fish under controlled conditions for both commercial and recreational purposes. Salmonids, along with carp and tilapia, are the three most important fish groups in aquaculture. The most commonly commercially farmed salmonid is the Atlantic salmon.
Organic aquaculture is a holistic method for farming fish and other marine species in line with organic principles. The ideals of this practice established sustainable marine environments with consideration for naturally occurring ecosystems, use of pesticides, and the treatment of aquatic life. Managing aquaculture organically has become more popular since consumers are concerned about the harmful impacts of aquaculture on themselves and the environment.
Norway Royal Salmon ASA was a Norwegian fish farm company, headquartered in Trondheim, Norway with a sales office in Kristiansand. After nearly 30 years of operation, the company merged with SalMar in 2022, with SalMar acquiring all of NRS's assets and operations. While the aquaculture activities were incorporated into SalMar, the trading activities became part of Visscher Seafood Group.
Huon Aquaculture is a large aquaculture and food processing enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1986, Huon has grown to become the second largest salmon producer in the state, after ASX-listed Tassal; it employs 487 Tasmanians and produces 25,000 tonnes of salmon annually. It became a subsidiary of the Brazilian meat processing company JBS S.A. in November 2021.
P/F Bakkafrost is a Faroese salmon farming company based in Glyvrar on the island of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands. Bakkafrost is the largest fish farming company in the Faroe Islands, and is the biggest private employer in the islands. Bakkafrost is the third-largest fish farming company in the world.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is an independent non-profit organisation and labelling organization that establishes protocol on farmed seafood while ensuring sustainable aquaculture. The ASC provides producers with a certification of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Scott Nichols is an American inventor and marketer focused on making fish farming more sustainable. Nichols promoted the process of using a yeast rich in essential omega-3s (EPA) as an alternative food source for farmed salmon. Nichols is the recipient of the 2012 SeaWeb Innovation Award and the 2015 IntraFish Seafood International Marketer of the Year Award. He co-founded Verlasso and founded Food's Future. He serves on the board of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
Loch Duart is a small, independent Scottish salmon farming company. It is headquartered in Scourie, Sutherland in north-west Scotland and has just over 100 employees. The company owns and operates eight sea sites and two hatcheries in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides. Sales, marketing and finance departments are located in Montrose and a French sales and marketing office in Lorient, Brittany.
Aquaculture in the United Kingdom is dominated by salmon farming, then by mussel production with trout being the third most important enterprise. Aquaculture in the United Kingdom represents a significant business for the UK, producing over 200,000 tonnes of fish whilst earning over £700 million in 2012 (€793 million).
Russian Aquaculture PJSC is Russia's largest fish farming company. It operates fish farms and markets in addition to chilled and frozen salmon and trout farmed on lakes in Karelia, and in the Barents and White Seas.
Cooke Inc. is a Canadian multinational seafood company based in New Brunswick, in which it is headquartered in Saint John. Founded in 1985 as a family-ran salmon farm in Blacks Harbour, Cooke stands as the largest privately held seafood company globally. The family-run company operates several vessels and processing facilities under multiple divisions, subsidiaries, and brand names internationally. Outside of its origin business in New Brunswick, the company has run salmon aquaculture operations in Maine and Washington of the U.S. division and Chile of the South American division, and Scotland of the European division.
The Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return Initiative commonly called FAIRR Initiative, is an investor network.
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