Plans for the first fish farm in Commonwealth waters off Tasmania's north-west coast have been revealed during Senate Estimates hearings.
Under a proposed three-year trial, 50 hectares of Bass Strait, located about six nautical miles north of Burnie, will be set aside for fish farming research conducted by the federally funded Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre.
By extending into Commonwealth waters, the federal government's stated aim is to "help grow Australia's aquaculture industry to $2 billion by 2027".
Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries, Jonathon Duniam, said the trial represented an exciting opportunity for the aquaculture industry.
"The Blue Economy CRC are well equipped to conduct the trial, given their research expertise in offshore sustainable aquaculture," he said.
"There are a number of matters [to] consider, beginning with testing how the infrastructure performs."
Governments accused of failing to publicise trial
Blue Economy CRC announced its intentions to conduct research into deeper-water fish farming back in September.
But Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he was unaware that a final proposal had been open for public feedback on the government's website since February 4, until it came up during Estimates hearings on Tuesday night.
"They have been talking about doing this trial for some time," he said.
"It certainly smells a bit fishy to me."
Public submissions will close on February 24.
Environmental groups have accused both the state and federal governments of trying to keep input to a minimum.
"The application and call for submissions have not been advertised at all to the north-west coast community," Jenny Weber from the Bob Brown Foundation said.
"The community is completely in the dark.
The secretary of anti-fish farm advocacy group Neighbours of Fish Farming, Glenn Sanders, said it was a case of "industry expansion by stealth".
"If allowed to proceed, this project will inevitably see the northern coastline and adjacent islands dominated by fish pens and resulting pollution," he said.
Premier urges opponents to 'get out more'
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein dismissed the criticism, saying the trial had been discussed openly since September.
"This was well discussed last year in terms of both the MOU (memorandum of understanding) between ourselves and the Commonwealth, and it was even discussed in parliament," he said.
"For those people who believe there hasn't been enough consultation, they need to get out more, because there has been plenty of discussion around this particular issue."
Mr Gutwein said the state government had high hopes for deep-water salmon farming.
Senator Whish-Wilson questioned whether farming further out would solve the industry's problems.
"We saw 60,000 fish die just last week in north Tasmania in one single mass-fish-mortality event from warming waters," he said.
"Will this change if you go out to Commonwealth waters?
"The oceans are warming everywhere."
State to regulate Commonwealth project
The Burnie trial will be regulated by the Tasmanian government rather than the Commonwealth, if proposed changes to state legislation pass the upper house.
They passed the lower house last year.
"The producers themselves will be on-island, so it's important that there is a regulatory role for the state government," the Premier said.
"In many parts of my state of Tasmania, it's been an unmitigated disaster," Senator Whish-Wilson said.
"If you're going to put aquaculture projects in Commonwealth waters, even if it's just a trial, I think the Commonwealth should be the regulator.
"At least the Commonwealth has more checks and balances."
