A Brief History of Nets Tasmania
The first Australian Aquaculture net making company – a company built on an enthusiasm for the art of net making, and determination to turn out the best product possible for its fish farm customers.
1987
Inception of commercial scale farming Salmonids
Inception of commercial scale farming Salmonids in Tasmania Commencement of assembly of fish farm nets to meet the needs of many independent small farms licensed to farm in sea water, Saltas joins with partners from Norway under State Government auspices to provide technical & scientific expertise to the developing Aquaculture industry. NETS use industrial sewing machines for joining netting seams. Staff travel internationally to gain understanding of netting applications in all major fish farming areas worldwide. Standard size nets of 40M & 80M circ.
1989
Machine seaming discontinued in favour of traditional hand skills
Machine seaming discontinued in favour of traditional hand skills of net making staff. Circular 120m circ. HDPE fish cages become the standard design for Australia. Innovations in predator nets as separate systems surrounding fish enclosure nets. Overseas experts brought to Tasmania to help in the fight to control seal attacks and damage on fish farms. NETS commences producing wire predator exclusion nets. Shooting of seals by farmers in Tasmania is prohibited by law.
1990
First nets sent to Barramundi farms in Queensland and Lake Argyle
First nets sent to Barramundi farms in Queensland and Lake Argyle. Prawn farms commencing and being supplied with exclusion protection and harvest nets. Small scale fish salmon farmers grouping into larger public companies.
1991
Farming of Tuna on Eyre Peninsula
Farming of Tuna on Eyre Peninsula requires development of sea towing cages and static culture cages specifically for South Australian conditions. Some farms start growing stock salmon in rectangular modular systems similar to those in Norway and Scotland. NETS responds with an innovative type of system farm nets.
Boom time for Orange Roughy fishing in Tasmanian waters, this provides opportunities for expansion of local net making and brings the presence of New Zealand net companies into Tasmania. Netting based system for Abalone farming developed.
All nets up to this time are made up from Nylon knotless netting the size of twines to give seal attack resistance are now beyond manufacturing limits, attempts to use alternatives, super knots to restrict seal rips and Dyneema to improve strength of netting.
1998
Anti fouling net
Anti fouling net application plant built by NETS, in Southern Tasmania.
1999
First trials of Co Polymer knotless netting production
First trials of Co Polymer knotless netting production leads onto the initiation of Super 20 Mono netting. Dramatic improvements in reducing seal attack by NETS tensioned designs.
2001
Application and drying plant for net stiffening agent built
Application and drying plant for net stiffening agent built by NETS providing limited reduction in seal predation.
2014
The first K-Grid nets deployed in Tasmania and North Australia
The first K-Grid nets deployed in Tasmania and North Australia – finally the predation and net fouling problems of Australian aquaculture are overcome.
2014
Nets Asia factory established
Purpose built factory and assembly areas constructed as dedicated assembly facility designed for fabrication of new generation of much larger nets, specific work areas and wok surfaces for KGrid assembly techniques.
2015
KGrid Net Performance Trials
proves world best efficiency for salmon growing and in water cleaning. Predation control exceeds any other netting type, with the major advantage of a single net enclosure. Nets prove long term mechanical cleaning in water so reducing haul-out intervals.
2016
KGrid International Sales Increase
Nets supplied to Chile and Canadian fish farms, also Tuna Farm net production commenced from Nets Asia.
2017
Further expansion of overseas sales
KGrid Tuna nets supplied to Japan after liaison with designers to accommodate local farming conditions and further Canadian use of KGrid nets.
2018
Large Scale Production of KGrid
With farms appreciating the advantages of KGrid nets volumes of production along with and bird nets for Salmon and Tuna farms increases to the largest numbers of units produced to date.
2019
Land purchased at Cades Bay
A 28 acre site purchased near to Nets Tasmania factory in Southern Tasmania for future expansion in order to meet Nets Tasmania Pty Ltd. net maintenance and storage of the new generation KGrid and HDPE nets.
2020
Impact of Covid pandemic
Nets Tasmania proves capable of working without aid of government support while continuing to supply new nets and servicing of existing nets both in Australia and for its overseas customers.
Production of Heavy Duty HDPE nets for Tasmanian salmon farms operating in highly exposed sites commences trials and evaluation, designs KGrid Tuna nets continues to evolve.
2021
Further development of heavy duty Super 20 Mono and HDPE
Very heavy specifications of HDPE and super 20 Mono nets for Tasmanian fish farms continue to evolve requiring the development of new assembly and net mending techniques and equipment to meet the maintenance and servicing of nets from high exposure farm sites.
