Pollution generated by Tassal's salmon farms in Tasmania has fallen 15 per cent, the company says, amid opposition to the environmental impact of the expanding industry.
Critics have claimed waste and uneaten feed from salmon farms are polluting waterways, and the Tasmanian Abalone Council has said that is causing a reduction in the number of abalone that can be harvested.
Tassal, which operates a marine farm at Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast and five in the state's southeast, says nutrient emissions in 2014 were down 15 per cent from 2012.
"This was driven by the improvement in the feed conversion ratio at our marine sites," Tassal said in its annual sustainability report.
"This reduced the quantity of feed used per tonne of fish produced, meaning that nitrogen and phosphorus emitted to the marine environment were also reduced."
Tassal said data for the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and Huon River in Tasmania's southeast showed the ecosystem could cope with the maximum level of salmon farming allowed under current regulations.
But the company said it had noted concerns about the number of salmon farms in those waterways.
"Tassal's long term strategy for growth does not include increasing our overall footprint in these waterways, and we are looking to more exposed, offshore sites for those opportunities," it said.
Shares in Tassal were down four cents at $3.54 at 1550 AEST.
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