Tassal: Sustainable Aquaculture And Responsible Production Of Salmon

Commitment to the Local Community

Question:

Discuss about the Environmental Management for Sustainable Development of Tassal Company.

Tassal is one of the leading company in Australia in production of aquaculture products especially when salmon is concerned. The company is committed to establish proper relationship by working and collaborating with the local community within the country (Bell,Wade &Ewing, p.784). The company is undertaking expansion plans which is as a result of its partnership with small business sector and the commercial fishing industry. For many years,Tassal has been a sustainability journey. The company has been working with WWF-Australia in order to achieve the best possible outcomes of responsible aquaculture since the year 2012.

The company is able to employ more than 800 employees who are living within rural Tasmania (Grzega, p.271). The company is very conscious on its impact to the environment, its employees and their families because they are working very hard to meet the set high standards of the company. Consultations conducted by the community and stake holders are taken very seriously by the company and proper recommendations are implemented where possible. The company is aspiring for the world leadership in responsible aquaculture production by maintaining sustainability as its core value and part of their culture.

Tassal Tasmania salmon is a prominent company known for its successful food and fish production. Mark Ryan is its managing director and its CEO. It is highly ranked and most recommended industry in the world of food industry. In the year 1986 the company inaugurated its first marine site.  For the last 25 years the Tassal company has been offering the best sea food to the Australian people especially Salmon fish (Corntassel, p. 108). The organization is very consistent and promising in keeping its core values and sustainable practices. The organization is competent in striving for operational success. The organization has hard working, skilled, knowledgeable, competent and outstanding workers who are strength of the company. Currently, the organization is operating with approximately 800 workers (Grzega, p.271). The organization headquarters is located in Hobart Tasmania.

The vision of the company is to create better promising future for its customers and Australian people at large. The organization mission is to manage proper health care, development of sustainable environment and general community development (Bushakra, p.1636). The organization is privileged to have accomplished several achievements which are defined as below:

• In the year 2010, the company launched Australia’s only canned Atlantic salmon and pure beauty products.
• In 2011, tassel was involved in fundraising for breast cancer to improve community development and services.
• In the year 2012, the tassel company benchmarked as the Fish Farming Company.

Other achievement is such as the company is holding a very strong position as it is the top best company in producing salmon. Thus looking forward for future opportunities.

• Biodiversity

Biodiversity is a very essential part of human life. It has intrinsic value where by each species has a value and right to live (Campoy, Le Dante & Quero-Garcia, p. 789). Tassal company is known of maintaining proper diversity within its environment which has contributed several benefits to the Australian people.

• Improved economic value- many livelihoods depend greatly on biodiversity such as those of farmers, timber worker and fishers. This is because biodiversity provides raw materials for consumption and production as well.
• Ecological life support- a well-functioning biodiversity is promoted by biodiversity. This leads to proper supply of oxygen, pest control, pollination in plants, clean air and water, and waste water treatment.
• Recreation- many tourism industries in the country depend on diversity. Tassal company promote recreational pursuits by providing unique biodiversity, such as fishing, camping, birdwatching and hiking.
• Cultural- biodiversity through aesthetic appreciation, through spirituality and the expression of identity create a very close relationship with the Australian culture. Many Australians hold hitherto spiritual beliefs about plants and animals thus creating unique obligations to biodiversity.
• Scientific- scientifically biodiversity helps us to understand the natural world and its origin since it involves systematic ecological data.
• The company has achieved ASC certification for all its farm sites thus enabling it to maximize positive social impacts and contribute significantly to the Tasmanian economy. It has led to implementation of sustainability focus throughout the company (Ferguson & Lovell, p. 263). This has led to good communication between the company, customers and stakeholders.
• The federal senate inquiry has enable the company to showcase its robustness in its regulatory framework and gain proper understanding of its stakeholder’s concerns (Cox & DeHaan, p. 453). It has enabled the investors, customers, consumers and the public to regard Tassal as environmentally and socially responsible. This create suitable working conditions for its employees and its neighborhoods.
• The company has implemented best infrastructure and fish health capacity. This has greatly benefited everybody in Tasmania. Forward focused partnership in research has improved its transparency (Cortassel, p.113).
• The company maintains sophisticated risk management process and recognizes it need to pay close attention to the changing climate and its impacts. The company has employed scientist from university of Tasmania to identify upcoming system response, climate change and options in the adaptation of different plants and animal species.
• The company has implemented selective breeding process to culture fish that are more resistant to the AGD in warmer waters and can function properly at lower oxygen concentration (Grzega, p.271). The company has also invested in monitoring comprehensive environmental knowledge in which it operates for future concerns.

The company has constantly conducted research on various fields in their specialization thus providing conclusive reports on these activities. This has enabled them to keep track on sustainability report year on year and demonstrates their commitment in public as the company, and at individual level within the Tassal company. This has greatly boosted their confidence both locally and internationally thus expanding their markets. Tassal gained full certification to Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) as a result of its committed confidence.

Partnership with WWF-Australia

The company has applied various strategies to implement proper sustainability. One of the main objective is to promote sustainable food production for crops with perennial habits and N₂ fixation (Bell, Wade & Ewing, p. 672). The company is able to transform various food crops from annual to perennial habits. This has enabled them to simplify crop management and reduces production cost. The perennial crops have a much deeper and more abundant root system. This enables them to absorb water and fertilizer more efficiently over a long period of time. The company has also come up with crops with N₂ fixation strategy. This is ability to develop technologies that enable insertion of N₂ into the new perennial basic non legume crops. N₂ fixation is achieved through development of symbiotic fungi and N₂ fixing bacteria. These bacteria provide these crops with the natural N supply which increases their soil water uptake and other nutrients obtained by microbial symbiosis (Gibson & Rimmington, p. 19).

Planning and Strategy

Tassal company has established a very efficient planning process and working beyond this strategy in its consultation processes. Mark Ryan as the CEO of the Tassal company and its team have come up with reliable sources of accurate, insightful and reliable information (Campoy, Le Sabte & Quero-Garcia, p. 785). This enables them to prepare and transform their organization for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. By planning and application of FT the company is able to deliver macro picture of current affairs, industry, global economics and market trends. The company is also able to discover risk and opportunities affecting specific sectors. Planning is vital component for decision making and enables the company to set strategic priorities (Bushakra, p. 1641). These priorities are to deliver sustainable long term returns to shareholders selling highly recognized, ethical valued brands and products.  

For the past 6 months the company has been in close consultation with the community south of Dover. This follows closely proposed amendment for the existing marine farming leases in the area. The company has also come up with the ongoing constructive dialogue with commercial fishing interest (Corntassel, p. 121). Planning has enabled the company to establish distinct rules and regulations in its amendment that forge them to produce quality goods and services to Australian community. The company is able to relate well with its clients, consumers and stakeholders as is values their recommendations and always ready to implement if necessary. Thus they are able to deliver acceptable returns.

Tassal company has come up a very strong human resource management. HR manager concentrates more on creating new strategies and offering services to its employees. This creates ample time to create top–level decision-making (Grzega, p.271). The company has established a well-structured file for easy assessment. Employees tend to change their job thus leaving behind a lot of paper work. This files might be urgently needed thus making it difficult to retrieve this information (Bushakra, p. 1642). Implementation of digital employees file ensure that the right information is at hand and can be updated more efficiently.

Accomplishments in Sustainable Aquaculture

The company’s staff are able to retrieve contracts and conversation details more quickly and be forewarned of the approaching deadline. HR affect all department in the company. This enables the HR staff to monitor all activities and to know at all times which action should be taken and by whom (Bell, Wade & Ewing, p. 681). This has enabled Tassal company to keep itself updated to the changing market trends and its customers’ feedbacks. HR works more closely to employees which increase their collaborative nature thus improving team work.

Tassal was rank as the most respected company in Australia by a survey conducted by global management consulting company Hay Group for BRW. Tassal in the leading company in Australia in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector (Corntassel, p. 122). Mark Ryan who is the managing director and chief executive officer said that the company consider other factor rather than making profits. This ensure that the company proper all-round in the 21^st century. Due to good leadership skills employed, the company was able to be ranked as the largest aquaculture company in Australia and is publicly listed on the ASX (Gibson & Rimmington, p .19). Tassal to taking a leadership role to enhance sustainability in aquaculture, governance, transparency, integrity, stewardship and sea sourcing.

Tassal is known for its economic change because it’s able to corporate social responsibilities. This is enhanced by good relationship between senior and junior employees. The company has forum that encourage peace and unity amongst its workers. Tassal is most respected within their own industry because it produces premium quality Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon. The company is integrated in operating hatcheries, marine farms, value adding plants, processing facilities and marketing globally (Grzega, p.271). Mark Ryan in his leadership has greatly encourage need for being socially and environmentally responsible. Necessary measures have been implemented such as appropriate systems to meet expectations of the company.

Tassal company has recorded 2.3% in the national gross state product (Cox & DeHaan, p. 652). Rising consumer demand due to lower catches volume has greatly been shorted by the aquaculture products. It has potential to supply to upcoming demand for this animal protein. Tassal being the largest food production industry by value which has increased in a remarkable dimension, is of significant importance. Salmonids has the largest production volumes compared to other Australian fisheries commodities. The real gross income of salmon has significantly increased for the past decades. The company is able to provide direct employment opportunities to over 1,571 people and supports FTE positions country wide (Corntassel, p. 128). Expansion of the aquaculture industry has increased job opportunities to those who were experiencing downturn due to traditional industries such as mining and forestry.

Technology is highly employed in all the sectors of Tassal company. These services and transport sector depend on Tassal for job opportunities. Other sector includes: Concreting and construction, metal fabrication, logistics, refrigeration and mechanical services. The company has also come up with special programs to support school based apprenticeship and tertiary education. These programs are quite significant to Australian youth considering low level of education progression in Tasmania (Bushakra, p. 1636). The company is able to maximize cash flow by minimizing working capital cycle. Implementation of salmon processing consolidation to enhance supply chain efficiencies has help the company maintain its standards and gain loyal customers.

Promoting Biodiversity and Perennial Crops

• The company should be able to empower its employees and allow them to respond efficiently to the changing environment while ensuring that decisions are made within the risk appetite set by board (Cox & DeHaan, p. 651). This motivates them to offer their best services for the benefit of the company.
• The human resource management should adopt proper governance that enhances transparency and integrity. This may lead to a significant increase in productivity, responsiveness to the global market for acceptable returns, environmental conscience and general growth of the company (Campoy, Le Dante &Quero-Garcia, p.786).
• The company should also incorporate fully modern technology in all the sectors of production to enhance efficiency, consistency and production of quantity and quality good (Ferguson & Lovell, p. 264). Thus the company will be able to meet need of its customers in the international market and eliminate its competitors.

• The company should educate and supply stakeholders with relevant information regarding the reuse of waste water and elimination of plastics wastes going to landfill. This leads reduction of plastic waste, improve environmental performance and increase stakeholder engagement around wastewater reuse.
• The company should ensure all fishing sites are compliant and incorporate biosecurity guidelines into Zero harm to maximize fish health and welfare.
• Tassal company should launch, design employee engagement survey and appoint a female board member in order to focus on gender diversity, acquire good standards if labor conditions and achieve zero harm for people.
• To ensure food safety and quality accountability, Tassal company should become certified to new standards with prominent external partners.

Conclusion

Tassal company is leading in production of aquaculture products in Australia. The company has enhanced good environment regulations as far as diversity is concerned. The company is able to enjoy compliance from fresh water, marine and processing spectrum. The company has also implemented significant measures waste water treatment. Facilities involved are Dover and Huon Ville processing plants (Grzega, p.271). The company is very committed in keeping high standards for wildlife management. This is achieved through special programs such as staff training, education and system development. Tassal is also interested in the health of its species such as salmon. The company has incorporate fish husbandry, programs of Zero harm for fish to enhance fish quality and welfare. Tassal is concerned greatly with its environments, thus it has set priorities in protecting and conserving environment for future generations. The company is able to incorporate relevant measure to minimize and manage waste. Necessary policies and procedures are in place to handle biological and non-biological waste.

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