Huon Aquaculture CEO criticises Tasmanian salmon review as “gossip-driven”.
Huon Aquaculture’s new chief executive Charles von der Heyde has questioned the Tasmanian government’s decision to review the salmon industry, describing the move as the result of “misinformation” and “gossip” about disease levels, according to reporting from ABC.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the review and a moratorium on marine expansion in August, following claims that rickettsia bacterial disease had spread more widely during winter and after the industry sought approval to use the antibiotic Florfenicol.
Von der Heyde, who joined Huon in May from JBS’s poultry operations in Mexico, said the company was surprised by the announcement. “There was a kind of gossip of a winter breakout of the rickettsia, which I thought wasn’t true at all,” he said. Huon staff clarified that while there was a small increase, it was not at reportable levels.
The CEO added that the moratorium would not affect Huon’s investment programme, which includes AUD 110 million ($73.7 million/€68.2 million) into land-based systems at Port Huon and a AUD 20 million ($13.4 million/€12.4 million) facility at Lonnavale. “We expect the moratorium will probably last a year or so until the study is done, it won’t stop our investments,” he said.
Huon is also targeting growth in the Chinese market, where it competes with Norwegian suppliers.
The industry has faced scrutiny following mass mortality events linked to rickettsia disease, wildlife deaths at farm sites, and criticism over transparency during die-offs. Huon recorded four dolphin deaths in the first half of 2025 due to entanglement in pens.
Von der Heyde acknowledged the need for improved communication during future incidents. “This gap of time between us going to the regulators, and the regulators to the public, that’s something that we expect will be corrected,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tasmania’s salmon producers have vaccinated 10 million fish against P. Salmonis, the bacterial pathogen behind earlier mortality events. Salmon Tasmania CEO John Whittington said the vaccine was “not a silver bullet” but an important part of disease management ahead of the summer season.
