Bass Strait Blue Economy Zone

The Bass Strait Blue Economy Zone (BEZ) aquaculture research trial has reached a pivotal milestone with the successful stocking of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon in August 2025, marking Australia’s first commercial-scale aquaculture operation in Commonwealth waters.

This three-year research initiative, located 12 kilometres off Burnie in Tasmania’s northwest, represents a critical step toward unlocking Australia’s vast offshore aquaculture potential while establishing groundbreaking regulatory frameworks for the region.

From Vision to Reality

Following years of planning and regulatory navigation, the BEZ trial site commissioning officially commenced in mid-May 2025.

The first stocking phase took place from August 1-3, 2025, with 15,000 Tasmanian Atlantic salmon successfully transferred to the offshore pens. A second stocking phase featuring kingfish is scheduled for the 2025/26 summer, adding another 15,000 fish to the trial’s multi-species approach.

The research trial and associated research program has secured funding from the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre (BE CRC) and participants, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), and Tasmania’s Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRET) and BE CRC participants.

Navigating Complex Regulatory Waters

The BEZ trial has necessitated unprecedented regulatory coordination across Commonwealth and state jurisdictions. Operating under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments, the project has successfully secured multiple critical approvals:

  • Commonwealth approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity

  • Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Number: 2024/09946)

  • Tasmania approval under the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995

  • Ethics approval from the University of Tasmania Ethics Committee
  • Biosecurity approvals for salmon (kingfish approval currently underway)

This regulatory complexity underscores why the research is absolutely crucial. Without this foundational work, regulatory uncertainty would continue to impact industry investment and prevent accessing the vast open ocean aquaculture potential.

The BEZ trial directly addresses Australia’s growing seafood deficit, with the nation currently importing over 65% of its seafood consumption. With coastal waters increasingly constrained by competing uses including shipping, commercial fishing, tourism, conservation, and existing aquaculture operations, the expansion into Commonwealth waters is timely.

The trial will explore how offshore aquaculture can coexist harmoniously with other marine activities while delivering premium-quality seafood at commercial scale.

Research outcomes will establish best-practice frameworks for:

  • Environmental monitoring and impact mitigation
  • Species selection and farming technologies
  • Risk management and proponent certainty
  • Stakeholder engagement models
  • Innovation and industry development pathways

The BE CRC has established a BEZ Community and Offshore Ocean User Advisory Group to ensure comprehensive stakeholder consultation throughout the trial. Environmental monitoring includes assessment of potential impacts on endangered Shy Albatross populations in Bass Strait, with seabird entanglement risks addressed through a comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan.

The BE CRC acknowledges there are community members concerned about aquaculture expansion into Commonwealth waters.

This research trial has a limited scale and fixed-term nature that provide an opportunity to provide critical insights. As the trial progresses through its three-year timeline, the research will explore:

  • 1
    Operational Feasibility: Assessing the viability of open ocean aquaculture in high-energy environments.
  • 2
    Environmental Assessment: Monitoring conditions and developing impact mitigation strategies.
  • 3
    Economic Viability: Financial assessment and local economic benefits analysis.
  • 4
    Governance Framework: Development of future Commonwealth waters aquaculture governance models.
  • 5
    Multi-user Impact: Assessment of impacts on other marine users and community.

Trans-Tasman Governance Partnership

In a strategic move that positions both Australia and New Zealand as global leaders in offshore aquaculture governance, the BECRC is collaborating with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries to conduct a comprehensive desktop assessment of domestic and international offshore aquaculture governance models.

This six-month collaborative research project aims to transform regulatory barriers into economic catalysts and brings together NZ MPI’s world-renowned fisheries and aquaculture management expertise with BE CRC’s cutting-edge research capabilities.

This partnership between the BE CRC and NZ MPI establishes a model for how Trans-Tasman cooperation can solve complex challenges neither nation could address as effectively alone. The governance innovations emerging from this collaboration will create lasting economic and environmental benefits while strengthening the ties between ocean economies for decades to come.

The confluence of the BEZ trial, international governance research, and industry readiness creates an unprecedented window for transforming Australia’s offshore aquaculture sector. With fish now in the water and future governance frameworks under development, the Bass Strait Blue Economy Zone is charting new waters for sustainable ocean economic development in the region.