Our Operations

Tassal operates three hatchery/nurseries which have the capacity to produce circa 10 million smolt a year. These smolt come from broodstock courtesy of an industry Selective Breeding Program (SBP). The smolt are majority reared at the company’s state-of-the-art land-based Rookwood Road Nursery in Ranelagh, Tasmania, with a much smaller number reared at our flow through hatchery at Russell Falls. After eight to 12 months the smolt are transferred to sea.

Tassal has four marine zones, where the standard pen has a volume of 11,600 cubic meters and holds enough Salmon to produce approximately 120 tonnes once harvested. Salmon are kept in these large sea cages for between 12 – 18 months and continue to grow until they are ready to be harvested.
Our target size is an average weight of 5.0 kg head on gutted (HOG) weight.

Our network includes:

  • 3 directly controlled Salmon hatcheries and a majority ownership of industry hatchery Salmon Enterprises of Tasmania Pty Ltd (Saltas)
  • 4 diverse marine farming zones
  • 5 processing facilities

Plus 1 retail outlet, The Salmon Shop & 3,375 points of retail presence


CHANNEL ZONE & SOUTHERN ZONE

A short drive south of Hobart, Tassal’s farming operations have been successfully operating for close to 30 years. This region covers Margate to Tinderbox, North Bruny Island, Partridge Island and past Dover in the far south. Local divers, farm workers and specialised technical staff get to enjoy some spectacular weather patterns as they go about their daily work routine, from amazing sunrises to wild storms.



EASTERN ZONE

When you drive towards Port Arthur on a beautiful day, there’s nowhere you’d rather be heading. The scenery is hard to beat. Salmon farming has been a major part of this region since the late 1980’s. It covers not only Port Arthur but the shores of Nubeena where one of our farms lies immediately west of North Passage Point and just outside the entrance to Parsons Bay. The new Okehampton Bay salmon farm also sits in the eastern zone.



WESTERN ZONE  

Macquarie Harbour located near Strahan, is geographically unique and attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year.
 
Tassal is committed to sustainable farming in the region and was recently the first company in Tasmania to start capturing fish waste and removing it from the Harbour.

OUR HATCHERIES

Tassal has one of the most advanced hatcheries in the world, recently investing 60 million dollars in Huon Valley at Ranelagh.
 
Salmon eggs are grown into baby fish (known as smolt) at this state of the art land based facility. Once fish reach a certain weight, they are transferred to sea.
 
Our specialised hatchery staff are currently looking at how we can grow fish to an even larger size using land based farming. Any waste water is used to irrigate nearby farm land providing natural fertilizer.

OUR AQUA SPA

Tassal’s well boat the Aqua Spa operates throughout Tasmania’s southern waterways as part of Tassal’s commitment to world’s best practice for our people, planet, product and performance.

Aqua Spa is being used for bathing fish in freshwater, transporting juvenile fish from our nurseries to the grow out areas in the most bio secure way, and enabling operations at higher energy locations while keeping our people safe.




Our Processing Facilities

Dover
Margate
Huonville
Lidcombe