Tasmanian fisheries focus attention on 'huge potential' for Sardines
Tasmania's fisheries industry wants to pioneer a new niche in the seafood business by focusing on sardines.
The state is renowned for its harvest of rock lobster, abalone and scallops but they are all being fished to maximum capacity.
Sardines are now found in increasing numbers along the Tasmanian coastline due to changes in the East Australian Current and experts say the product has huge potential.
Neil Stump from the Tasmanian Seafood Council said traditional seafood stocks in Tasmania were under pressure.
"There probably won't be any substantial growth in those fisheries, in the near future anyway," he said.
During the election campaign the State Government promised to open new fisheries and in its annual report the Primary Industries Department said it was working to implement that policy.
The Department has granted two short-term permits for sardines.
One of the permit holders, Stuart Richey, a north west scallop fisherman, said the fish were being found in unprecedented numbers.
"From the air, inshore, we've seen up to 6,000 tonnes in one day just between Devonport and Cape Portland at that north-east tip of Tasmania," he said.
"That indicates there's a hell of a lot of fish there quite frankly."
Mr Richey was keen to find out exactly how many but by the time the permit was issued, it was scallop season and he could not spare the boats.
He was not allowed to extend or transfer the permit and, after three years trying to get one, said it was deeply frustrating.
"We've got some people working with us who are very keen to start processing but until we've got some product to play with we're going nowhere," he said.
Mr Stump said it was important the state jumped on this opportunity quickly.
"There's a 34,000 tonne fishery for Australian sardines in South Australia, we're not quite sure what the potential will be here but I think it's important we at least start to find out whether there is potential fishery in Tasmanian waters," he said.
The Department said it was close to finalising a draft framework for developmental fisheries and would hand it to Agriculture Minister Jeremy Rockliff within weeks.
The Minister said once it was adopted it would be used to assess proposals in a streamlined consistent way.
