Aquaculture and fishing industries on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula say they’ll be hit hard by the new carbon tax rules.
Chief executive of the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Association, Brian Jeffriess, says, while there hasn’t yet been an increase in fuel prices for industry, it could be on the way.
And he says a jump in electricity and general transport costs will make it impossible to compete with other major seafood countries.
“It’s based on the assumption that any business can pass on that extra cost to the consumer,†he said.
“Now, if you’re competing with a country like Japan or China or whatever, it may be who don't have a carbon tax then you can’t pass on the cost to the consumer. It’s going to be a major blow - there's no question about that.â€
