Star fisherman selling Tassie aquaculture site
The Blackman Bay greenfield site is being offered by fisherman Mark Eather. Photo: Supplied

Star fisherman selling Tassie aquaculture site

Tasmania’s “fisherman to the stars”, Mark Eather, has put a $4 million aquaculture development site in Blackman Bay on the south-east coast up for sale.

The offering, which Mr Eather has accumulated over a long period of time, encompasses five marine farm leases comprising a total area of around 61.5 hectares.

Also on offer is a crown lease for a 2315sq m waterfront site that is permit-approved for the construction of a seafood handling and processing facility, including a manager’s residence, restaurant and retail outlet.

Mr Eather, who promotes a sustainable, hand-caught approach to fishing, has a client list that comprises most of the country’s top chefs including Shannon Bennett, Kylie Kwong, Matt Moran, Tetsuya Wakuda and Neil Perry.

On his personal website, Mr Eather passionately argues that mass catch techniques such as trawling, dredging, netting and auto-lining are decimating marine environments and fish stocks “on an indiscriminate, industrial scale”.

“Only purchase/dine on seafood that is clearly sustainably and ethically caught,” he says.

Mr Eather has appointed Colliers International’s Duncan McCulloch and James Beer to sell the Tasmanian development sites.

“This opportunity represents one of Tasmania’s largest greenfield development sites in the aquaculture industry,” Mr McCulloch said.

“The site is ideally suited to the production of not only oysters, but also abalone, scallops, mussels, clams and lobster, amongst others.

“We anticipate significant interest from domestic and international high-net-worth individuals looking to gain immediate exposure and a sizeable footprint in one of Australia’s pre-eminent locations for aquaculture opportunities.

“We will also see keen interest from strategic acquirers and existing industry participants looking for further development opportunities and growth given Tasmania’s reputation and proximity to lucrative Asian markets.”

Mr McCulloch said worldwide rising health consciousness was driving increased demand for healthier proteins, specifically seafood.

“Tasmania is internationally recognised for its exceptional clean, green environment and high quality of seafood and standards,” he said.

Mr Beer said Blackman Bay was renowned for aquaculture production, and benefited from two-way nutrient flow from Frederick Henry Bay and Norfolk Bay to Marion Bay through the man-made Denison Canal.

“This is a truly exceptional aquaculture development opportunity with export potential, complete with multipurpose land base, large-scale and complementary marine leases, comprehensive jetty with forklift unload from vessel to processing, and packaging to vehicle dispatch,” he said. “All of this is situated just 45 minutes from Hobart Airport.”

Get a weekly roundup of the latest news from Commercial Real Estate, delivered straight to your inbox!

By signing up, you agree to Domain’s Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use. You may opt out at any time.