No risk of food shortage for King Is: govt

The Tasmanian government has rejected Labor opposition concerns that King Island residents could run out of food because of the reduced freight capacity of a new shipping vessel.

As the state begins a tri-weekly service to the Bass Strait island using a newly appointed ship, Investigator II, Labor MP Shane Broad said the craft is a third of the size of the boat it replaces and "not enough food can be transported".

"I'm confident that King Island will be well serviced by the vessel ... there is no chance that they will be running out of food," Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said.