More than 9,000 tonnes of farmed salmon died in Tasmanian fish farms in the first three months of 2026.
The figures come from Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) data released on April 17.
The monthly totals were 2,025 tonnes in January, 3,356 tonnes in February and 3,816 tonnes in March.
This three-month total represents roughly 12 per cent of the industry’s annual production.
The figures follow the 2025 calendar year, in which more than 20,133 tonnes of salmon died, including 2,500 tonnes in the final quarter.
EPA material from the 2025 mortality event described the die-off in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel as large and unprecedented.
Critics of the industry have highlighted warmer water temperatures and disease pressure, particularly the presence of the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis.
The industry has responded to disease outbreaks by using 2.71 tonnes of the antibiotic florfenicol between November 12, 2025 and January 19 this year.
However, the ongoing rise in mortality figures since the introduction of this treatment has prompted questions regarding its long-term efficacy in disease management.
The use of florfenicol has since been banned by Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) as of March 4, 2026 after detections of the antibiotic in wild fish and crustaceans up to 10 kilometres from salmon pens.
The EPA has introduced stricter mortality reporting rules, which now require farms to provide weekly reports that include the suspected causes of death.
The salmon industry remains a major regional employer in the Huon Valley; mass mortality events are a source of significant concern about the future of local jobs and the long-term health of the marine ecosystem on which the jobs rely.
Future mortality data is expected to be released as part of the EPA’s ongoing regulatory monitoring program.
