Tassal confirmed that workers were alerted to smouldered on an empty fish pen at a site southeast of Hobart on Tuesday.
The fire was controlled and extinguished quickly, according to a company spokesperson.
While the cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, Tassal announced that it was conducting an investigation to prevent re-occurrence. The company told the Australian Associated Press that it believes the blaze started as a result of a process to brand equipment.
Reports of a fire at the company’s site near Badger Creek on the Tasmanian Peninsula were posted on Twitter, as activists raised concerns about the potential impact of the blaze on the environment.
One group, the Bob Brown Foundation, released a statement calling on the company to clarify what has happened, especially with regards to environmental or welfare issues.
“This fire looks big and looks serious and we want to know what damage has occurred to the marine environment because it can’t be nothing,” said Alistair Allan, Fish Farm campaigner at the Bob Brown Foundation.
SalmonBusiness has reached out to Tassal for comment.
