Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Urquhart for her question. Senator Urquhart has a very well-deserved reputation as a champion for the over 5,000 Tasmanian workers in the salmon industry. The salmon industry is a critical employer creating jobs across Australia, and Senator Urquhart has been actively engaging with the industry to help support Tasmanian jobs, including in a number of recent meetings on the west coast.

I've had a great affinity with the industry ever since I first visited my uncle Jack, who lived on Cat Island in the middle of Macquarie Harbour. Back then he used to recount rowing his boat out into the harbour to rescue salmon pens that had become loose from their moorings. The industry has come a long way since then. Now the salmon industry contributes $1.36 billion in economic activity to Tasmania.

I'll repeat that for you, Senator Duniam: $1.36 billion of economic activity. During my visit, it was announced that the industry had hit a milestone of $1 billion in cumulative exports over five years. I'll repeat that for you: $1 billion in cumulative exports over five years. This is due to exports nearly doubling in volume and tripling in dollar terms, growing from just under $100 million in 2018-19 to $300 million last year. This is having flow-on benefits across the supply chain to companies like Polyfoam, who I met in Tasmania. They come from Adelaide and make the innovative packaging to export salmon to overseas markets. We want to work with the industry to grow these exports further.