Statement – Tattarang Pty Ltd, 11 August 2021

Tattarang invests in secure, sustainable future for Huon

Tattarang has increased its substantial shareholding in Huon Aquaculture Group as part of its strong commitment to supporting the ongoing and sustainable growth of Australia’s aquaculture industry.

Tattarang Chair Dr Andrew Forrest AO said Australia’s aquaculture industry faces real and immediate challenges and Huon has an opportunity to set new standards for environmental sustainability and animal welfare.

“Our investment in Huon represents a clear commitment to achieve the industry change we want to see,” Dr Forrest said.

“Huon have demonstrated they want to be leaders in the pursuit of sustainable salmon farming practices but my aspirations for this company are even greater. And there are a range of steps that can be taken by new ownership to achieve this. They include the replacement of fish in fishmeal, moving to completely carbon neutral production and applying leading animal welfare standards and practices.

“We must all rise to the biggest challenge of Australia’s agricultural sector – food security and sustainability. Sustainability is the one factor that will guarantee jobs in agriculture, food on our plates and farming practices that protect the planet, not harm it.”

Tattarang is one of Australia’s largest private investment groups and is owned by the Forrest family with a portfolio that includes agri-food, energy, resources, property and lifestyle.

This includes the group’s agri-food business, Harvest Road, which is one of Australia’s largest and most diverse agricultural companies and includes Leeuwin Coast, the Group’s aquaculture brand launched in 2020.

Tattarang’s investment team will continue to review the specific shareholder offer as part of its investment position.

Media release – Tasmanian Alliance for Marine Protection (TAMP), 11 August 2021

TAMP welcomes ‘Twiggy’ Forrest intervention in Huon Aqua buy-out … but with conditions

The  Tasmania’s peak marine environment protection body, has welcomed Andrew ‘Twiggy”’ Forrest’s intervention in the possible sale of Huon Aquaculture to the ‘Brazilian butchers’, JBS, which would be the worst possible outcome, but said words must be matched by acts.

Dr Forrest’s statement portraying the industry’s ‘current very poor reputation which in many cases is deserved’ and his stated commitment to improving the salmon industry’s shocking environmental record reveal he recognises an industry in crisis.

However, for Dr Forrest’s commitment to a truly sustainable industry to be more than rhetoric he must lead Huon Aquaculture in a transition to land-based farms – a transition that is occurring globally.

TAMP would welcome the opportunity to work with Dr Forrest to make that transition a reality in Tasmania, now.

TAMP is aware that Dr Forrest has been holding discussions with Richard Flanagan whose book, Toxic, laid bare the industry’s practices and provoked national and international outrage.

Mr Flanagan’s clearly stated view on the need to go to land-based salmon production (RAS) is the same as that of TAMP – that a commitment to get out of the sea and onto land is the only viable, sustainable option and that the transition needs to start now.

Statement – Huon Aquaculture, 11 August 2021

Statement from Huon Aquaculture

Huon Aquaculture’s CEO, Peter Bender, in responding to unfounded claims from mining magnate, Andrew Forrest about Huon’s environmental and fish welfare practices, said today that his company was the first and only seafood producer in Australia to hold RSPCA certification.

Mr Bender said that Huon has always, over 35 years of operation, been uncompromising in its commitment to the highest standards of animal husbandry, biosecurity, environmental management, and sustainable farming practices.

“Huon agrees with Mr Forrest that business operations must not compromise the environment.

“Like terrestrial farmers, we are stewards of our farms and stock and that is paramount to the decision making behind all our business practices.

“Huon does not believe there is any higher animal husbandry goal to achieve than RSPCA certification, and we call upon Mr Forrest to outline which program he believes is better than RSPCA certification.

“Huon wanted to be benchmarked against the best standards in the world because fish welfare remains essential to every aspect of what we do which is why we lobbied RSPCA Australia to develop the salmon standards in the first place.

“If Mr Forrest had bothered to check with me, he would know that our stocking density of maximum 1% fish to 99% water is the best in the world across the global salmon farming industry.

Mr Bender said that Huon’s humane harvest method developed by Huon has been rated world’s best-practice, was RSPCA UK awarded and has been adopted internationally by other salmon farmers.

Mr Forrest can rest assured that every Huon fish is grown and harvested under the principles of ‘no pain no fear’; indeed it was this company that led the salmon farming world in these harvest principles.