Salmon farm Senate Inquiry to illuminate muddy waters

The Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has welcomed the Senate voting to establish an Inquiry into the sustainability of Tasmania’s salmon farms.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This Inquiry will help shine some light on some of the murky information that has recently surfaced regarding the sustainability of salmon farms in Tasmania.

“In the last few days we have heard publicly from former employees, the abalone industry and a mussel grower about the impacts of salmon farms but the state government continues to deny that there are any issues.

“If Minister Rockliff really cared about Tasmanian jobs, he would stop his tired and predictable attacks on people who care about Tasmania’s environment and brand, and support the Inquiry and the opportunity to address long term risks.

“A Senate Inquiry will provide the perfect opportunity for all stakeholders to have a voice and lay facts on the table. They will be free from an unquestioning state government and able to openly discuss the environmental and economic impacts as well as the risks from this sector.

“I am looking forward to hearing from industry, regulators, scientists and members of the community about any issues in the sector and what is being done to address them.

“Neither the state nor federal government has responded properly to the environmental concerns raised in the leaked environmental report I tabled recently in the Senate.

“This Inquiry is an opportunity to make sure we get things right in the salmon industry from both an environmental and long-term viability point of view,” he concluded.

Terms of Reference

That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 10 August 2015:

The regulation of the fin-fish aquaculture industry in Tasmania, with particular regard to:
(a) the adequacy and availability of data on waterway health;
(b) the impact on waterway health, including to threatened and endangered species;
(c) the adequacy of current environmental planning and regulatory mechanisms;
(d) the interaction of state and federal laws and regulation;
(e) the economic impacts and employment profile of the industry
(f) Any other relevant matters.
Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson