As many as 250,000 Atlantic salmon are on the loose after escaping from farming pens in Tasmania following storms.

Earlier this year, 25,000 kingfish escaped from a farm in Port Stephens following similar weather conditions.

The two incidents aren’t connected but they do involve the same company, Huon Aquaculture.

Tasmanian fisherman have jumped on the mass escape and are storming the shores, with some reporting catches of Atlantic salmon up to 6kg.

Tasmanian Association for Recreational Fishing chief executive Mark Nikolai says the salmon don’t last long in the wild and local fisherman are grasping the opportunity.

“On average the fish only last out in the wild probably about two weeks and then they die because they can’t actually feed themselves,” he tells Ross Greenwood.

“When an escape of any magnitude happens it doesn’t take the rumour mill long for it to get out into the community.”

Ross says if you see the price of salmon dropping over the next few weeks, you’ll know why.

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