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JBS is set to invest AUD 110 million (approx. $72.5 million) to enhance salmon production at its Huon Aquaculture Whale Point facility in Tasmania, Australia.

The investment aims to boost on-land fish farming capabilities, reducing the time and cost associated with raising salmon in marine environments.

The capital will fund the construction of a hatchery capable of producing over 7 million fish. The expansion is expected to create 150 jobs during construction. Currently, Huon employs over 1,000 people in Australia.

The expansion at Whale Point will enable Huon to raise fish in tanks on land for longer periods, allowing them to be sent to the sea at larger sizes, spending less time in the marine ambient. Huon led the use of such facilities in Tasmania with the inauguration of its first nursery at Whale Point in 2019.

Henrique Batista, CEO of Huon, highlighted that with enhanced on-land capacity, the company's salmon will spend most of their production cycle on land. He added that the investment also boosts the firm's water reuse rate to 99%. The remaining percentage is utilised in other production stages, with waste treated and used as fertiliser in local cherry farming.

Construction is scheduled to commence in 2025, with completion anticipated by 2027.

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