After a difficult start to the year, including a CEO changeover, antibiotic backlash, and a loss of RSPCA certification, Huon Aquaculture is partnering with TasmaNet to deploy digital infrastructure and smart technology – aiming to drive innovation and sustainability in its salmon farming.
Huon Aquaculture is the second largest salmon producer in Tasmania, and has been owned by Brazilian meat processing company, JBS, since November 2021.
Tasmanian salmon aquaculture is an important contributor to the state’s economy and to the overall Australian seafood market, with the state supplying more than 90 per cent of Australian Atlantic salmon production, worth over $1 billion. However, producers have been facing controversy for decades over the environmental implications of the industry, with plenty coming to the surface in 2025.
A busy start to the year
In February, there was a widespread mortality event caused by a bacterial outbreak amongst the salmon farms – resulting in deaths of at least one million fish, dumped at landfill sites.
To combat this, Huon Aquaculture administered antibiotics via fish feed, which were later detected in wild fish around the area at higher levels than the Food Standard Code’s maximum residue threshold. An investigation by the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority found more than a tonne of antibiotics were used, with residue washing up on beaches around the state.
Shortly after this event, RSPCA Australia implemented a 14-day suspension of Huon Aquaculture’s certification, following the release of a video depicting the inhumane handling of live fish. After an investigation, the organisation withdrew Huon Aquaculture’s certification on 20 March.
RSPCA Australia CEO, Richard Mussell, said RSPCA Approved is the leading farm animal welfare certification program in the country and is underpinned by standards that go well above the minimum legal requirements.
“While we acknowledge this was a single incident following many years of certification, the decision to withdraw a certification reflects how seriously we take incidents like this that compromise animal welfare,” said Mussell.
“Fish, including those farmed for human consumption, are sentient beings and, like other animals, can experience pain and suffering. When they’re farmed for food, the welfare of fish must be front of mind.”
The decision means there are currently no producers certified to the RSPCA Approved Standard for salmon, one of the most intensively farmed animals in the country.
It was during this investigation that former CEO and third-generation member of the family which owns JBS, Henry Batista, announced his new role as Brands & Snacking director for Pilgrim’s Europe, another JBS-owned company.
Although the Huon Aquaculture website states leadership changed hands in January, there was no public information until Batista’s LinkedIn update in March, and no announcement that former president of Pilgrim's Mexico, Charles von der Heyde, had taken over the role until May.
The company has since been making an effort to improve transparency, running free tours of its facilities in May, aiming to boost public support amid concerns about the industry’s environmental impact.
TasmaNet partnership
The latest news from Huon Aquaculture is a collaboration with Comms Group Limited’s Tasmanian telco and cloud service provider – TasmaNet, with the media release stating the partnership will “drive innovation and sustainability in salmon farming through the deployment of cutting-edge digital infrastructure and smart farming technology”.
“Our operations span some of the most remote and pristine environments in the world, and we’ve long believed that technology is key to farming more responsibly,” said Von Der Hyde.
“With TasmaNet’s advanced networking and IoT integration capabilities, we’re now able to gather real-time environmental and fish welfare data, optimise feeding systems, and ultimately farm smarter and more sustainably.”
TasmaNet, acquired by Comms Group in May, is delivering secure, high-performance connectivity and edge computing solutions across Huon Aquaculture’s marine farms, hatcheries, and processing facilities.
The initiative includes the rollout of:
- Private Fixed Wireless and SD-WAN connectivity to offshore and rural aquaculture locations;
- edge computing nodes to support AI-driven biomass analysis and automated feeding; and
- cloud-managed IoT platforms for live water quality, oxygen and temperature monitoring.
TasmaNet stated the capabilities will enable Huon to make data-informed decisions in real time, reduce waste, and improve feed conversion efficiency – a critical metric in aquaculture sustainability.
Comms Group CEO and TasmaNet executive director, Peter McGrath, said the company was proud to support Huon Aquaculture in setting new benchmarks for sustainable food production.
“This partnership shows how local technology can help solve global challenges in ethical food production, environment, and efficiency,” said McGrath.
Both companies emphasised a shared commitment to regional innovation and sustainability, leveraging Tasmania’s unique position as a hub for premium aquaculture and advanced connectivity infrastructure.
