Food and Wine

Tasmania’s pristine coastal and inland waters are home to an array of seafood prized the world over for its superior quality and freshness. Australia’s island state is blessed by its isolation and enforces strict quarantine regulations to maintain its disease-free environment. The Tasmanian fishing and aquaculture industries have developed environmentally sustainable practices to ensure the future prosperity of the industry.

Atlantic salmon, ocean trout, trevalla, stripey trumpeter, tuna, crabs, crayfish, abalone, scallops and oysters live in the crystal waters around Tasmania. Fish-farming is a growth industry in Tasmania employing thousands of people and generating hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Scalefish and shellfish are bred and reared in a natural and healthy environment to satisfy an ever-growing demand here and overseas.

Tasmanian salmon is the only farmed salmon in the world that does not require chemical treatment to remove impurities. It is extremely popular with discerning Japanese palates. The commercial farming of Atlantic salmon began in the mid-80s, but will soon exceed the value of wild fisheries to Tasmania. The industry employs more than 2,000 people and is worth $120 million a year.

Oysters are produced throughout the state and have built a national reputation for taste and texture. Generating an income in excess of $20 million, around 2.6 million oysters are cultivated per year and they are exported to various Asian countries and the Americas, as well as supplying a healthy local market. Tasmania was the first Australian state able to meet the stringent US import requirements.

Tasmania is the world’s largest supplier of wild abalone, producing 25 per cent of the total global catch. The abalone industry is big business, where licences cost in excess of $1 million, and the end product is consumed in Japanese restaurants at premium prices. Harvesting is managed under a quota system.

Southern rock lobster, known locally as crayfish, is a Tasmanian specialty. Around 1,500 tonnes are harvested to a value of $55 million each year. The sweet, tasty white flesh of the crayfish is highly regarded by seafood connoisseurs.

Fresh cultivated scallops are available all year round, with the peak season in May-November. Tasmanian scallops are high quality, yielding between 60 and 80kg of meat to every 100kg of shell. In 1998 the Tasmanian Government introduced compulsory tracking systems for all vessels in Tasmanian waters, to protect the industry from poaching and from illegal fishing in juvenile scallop beds.

The first trout ova arrived at the Salmon Ponds hatchery in Plenty in 1864. They came from Britain and were carefully transferred overland to the prepared ponds. The wild trout fishery today brings tourism worth $30 million to the state every year.

Seasonal availability

Tasmania’s seafood industry has the capability to provide fresh products for the majority of the year. With the exception of wild southern rock lobster and wild scallops, fresh Tasmanian seafood can be provided throughout the entire year.