SALTAS is the home of the Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon selective breeding program (SBP). This small industry owned company located in the Derwent Valley runs 2 freshwater hatcheries and is responsible for the production of the majority of the broodstock for the industry. The Tasmanian SBP has been in operation since 2005 and has been providing genetically improved eggs and smolt for commercial production to the shareholders since 2012. The genetically improved stocks that have been sent to sea already have performed beyond expectations and as such there is now greater concern for the biological protection of the breeding program, and the commercial gains that it is providing to the Tasmanian industry.

In 2013, SALTAS has embarked upon a strategy to continually upgrade biological protection of the SBP and as such it is essential that key staff are able to become exposed to worlds best practice approaches to biosecurity. The opportunity for Mr Hilder to travel to Canada during their spawning season in November would allow him to see first hand, the approach taken to protect valuable broodstock in an environment where the disease threats are more real and immediate than those here in Tasmania.