Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming, 13 April 2022

EASTER Event: SYDNEY FISH MARKET, PYRMONT

EATING SALMON? KILLING TASMANIA

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 9.45am – 3pm

Tasmanians standing against the destructive practices of the state’s Atlantic salmon industry will bring the issue to Sydney’s Pyrmont Fish Market in the lead-up to Easter.

Under the banner “Eating Salmon? Killing Tasmania”, the community-based Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) will leaflet the Sydney fish markets on Thursday,  drawing attention to the fact that Atlantic salmon is “bad for you, bad for Tasmania”.

NOFF will draw on the image of Michelangelo’s sculpture, “Pieta” (The Pity) as its Easter message (full-size image attached *) to highlight the destruction of some of the planet’s purest marine environments.

“Australian consumers can help bring this destructive industry to its knees unless it changes its practices and moves out of coastal waters into sustainable, self-contained land-based production, creating sustainable jobs,” says Peter George, president of NOFF who will be at the fish markets on Thursday.

“There is an alternative to ‘the battery hen of the sea’ but the Atlantic salmon companies prioritise profits over the state’s reputation and environment.

“Most consumers are being conned by the Atlantic salmon industry into believing its some sort of “super food. It’s not.

“Independent testing shows one serving of salmon contains more trans fats – bad fats – than a Big Mac and fries.

“The industry markets itself as ‘clean, green and healthy’. It’s not.

“Industry spin masks the damage floating salmon cages do to Tasmanian waterways, coastal areas and foreshores, let alone the shocking impact it has on marine life and habitats.

“In just three years alone, the industry has used more than 75,000 underwater explosive devices against protected fur seals – devices that damage not just the seals’ hearing but that of the salmon they’re supposed to protect. That’s in addition to the thousands of lead-weighted projectile “bean bags” fired at seals.

“Easter is one of the busiest times of the year at Sydney’s fish markets and one of the biggest for Tasmanian industrial Atlantic salmon. Now is the time for Australian consumers to choose a better, sustainable alternative.”

*The “Salmon Farm Pieta” artwork was commissioned by NOFF as a new work by a recently formed Tasmanian environmental artist collective, “The Kali Project”.