Media release – North-west Tas for Clean Oceans, 6 October 2022
On a visit to Tasmania, Federal Agriculture Minister – heeds Multinational Industrial Salmon producers – Ignores Tasmanian community
In recent months the Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has advised NWTAS for Clean Oceans that salmon farming is not an environmental issue but, rather, an agricultural issue.
Hot on the heels of her advice, the Federal Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Senator Murray Watt, is in Tasmania to be briefed on the expansion plans of the multinational companies that own the State’s controversial salmon industry. He has elected to ignore the voice of the community during this trip.
“If Minister Watt is here to learn about the salmon industry he will leave with a very skewed view of this industry if he speaks only to the multi-nationals who are making a billion dollars per year out of exploiting our marine environment,” says Robyn Weare, Secretary, NWTAS for Clean Oceans.
“This industry is in huge trouble globally with increasing regulation and taxes. Tasmania is a drawcard for these multinationals with their long histories of regulatory and legal abuse. They love Tasmania because of our poor regulatory framework, lax oversight and minuscule fees for leases as well as the willingness of this government to sacrifice our marine environment and tourism industry for around 1500 jobs state-wide.”
“Having been alerted to the Minister Watt’s intentions in Tasmania, NWTAS and Neighbours of Fish farming (NOFF) have contacted the minister’s office seeking a meeting while he is in Tasmania. Our request to the Minister is below (attached).”
Dear Minister
We are shocked and concerned to learn that you are visiting Tasmania to explore issues around the industrial salmon industry but confining your talks to the three multinational companies that run Tasmania’s salmon industry.
The majority of Tasmanians have serious concerns about the current industry and plans to expand substantially next year, particularly into our pristine north-west coastal waters and Bass Strait.
Why have you chosen not to meet with organisations which advocate on behalf of the majority of Tasmanians concerned about this industry?
The Tasmanian salmon industry has had a dream run for 30 years but the Tasmanian community is speaking out to say:
* no more raping of our marine environment,
* no more destroying our clean green image, and
* no more huge financial input by taxpayers without a fair return.
We ask you to meet community representatives while you are in Tasmania. It is vital you consider all points of view relating to this industry. You must not be seen as just another politician hell-bent on exploiting Tasmania to benefit federal coffers.
The salmon industry is in big trouble all over the world and we need to listen and learn from these experiences and events.
Tasmania is very attractive to these multi-nationals because we are either oblivious to what is happening overseas or we naively choose to turn a blind eye. To add to Tasmania’s appeal we condone a weak regulatory framework, we receive only $1 million pa in license and lease fees from the whole industry and we tolerate this all for around 1500 jobs.
The state government has already proved incapable of managing and regulating the industry.
Our group specifically represents the Tasmanian north-west coast communities. We have witnessed the devastation in southern Tasmania and Macquarie Harbour caused by poorly regulated industrial salmon farming. We have a successful tourism industry on the north-west coast employing thousands of people and we do want our brand destroyed by salmon farming.
Release and implementation of the government’s 10 Year Salmon Plan is imminent and your government’s objective appraisal of the Plan from an environmental and aquaculture perspective may be vital to its success or otherwise.
We are affiliated with Neighbours of Fish farming (NOFF) and are happy for this group to represent our concerns to you. I understand they have already contacted you seeking a meeting.
We urge you to meet with NOFF while you in the state.
Yours sincerely
Robyn Weare
Secretary
NWTAS for Clean Oceans
Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF), 6 October, 2022
On a visit to Tasmania, Federal Agriculture Minister heeds Multinational Industrial Salmon producers – Ignores Tasmanian community
On a visit to Tasmania to be briefed on the expansion plans of the multinational companies that own the state’s controversial salmon industry, the Federal agriculture and fisheries minister, Senator Murray Watt, has totally failed to heed community concerns.
“The minister claims to be in Tasmania to learn about the salmon industry but will understand nothing if all he heeds is the spin of multinationals that now control the industry,” says Peter George, President of Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF).
“Facing increasing regulation and taxes globally, these multinationals with long histories of regulatory and legal abuse have focused on expansion in Tasmania with its poor regulation, lax oversight and minuscule fees for leases.
“If this is the government’s idea of ‘listening to and learning from all sides of an issue’, it is a pathetic failure and an abrogation of the minister’s duty to the electorate.
“Having been alerted to the minister’s intentions in Tasmania, NOFF contacted the minister’s office seeking a meeting while he is in Tasmania. The response was to send an email to the minister’s ‘invitation box’ which would be ‘attended to’.” (Letter attached)
Invitation to
The Hon Senator Murray Watt,
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Canberra
6.10.22
Dear Minister,
It with concern and some surprise to discover that you are visiting Tasmania to hear from three multinational companies that run Tasmania’s salmon industry yet have failed to meet and hear from organisations that speak with authority about community concerns.
We therefore invite you to meet representatives of community at a time and a place of your choosing before leaving the state. Fitting us into your busy schedule would seem the least you could do if you intend to leave with a balanced understanding of the industry and its impact.
Clearly you will hear only rosy predictions and undertakings from these multinationals with global reputations for legal and regulatory abuse. The state government has already proved incapable to managing and regulating the industry.
The salmon industry already has regular high-level access to state and federal governments and bureaucracies through the lobbyists they employ. A meeting with informed and intelligent representatives of community would go a small way towards redressing the balance.
Please feel free to get a staff member to contact me to arrange a meeting at your convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Peter George
President,
Neighbours of Fish Farming
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 6 October 2022
Albanese’s Minister for Fisheries meets Tassal but no Tassie groups
The Albanese government‘s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, is in Tasmania for two days to meet the Tasmanian salmon farm industry but not community groups alarmed by the industry’s spreading pollution of local waterways.
The Bob Brown Foundation has written to Minister Watt asking for a meeting to discuss the damaging impacts that industrial fish farms are having on marine ecosystems.
“I’m available to meet him anytime over the next few days. There are huge problems with Tasmania’s fish farm industry that I would like to discuss and I look forward to his response,” said Alistair Allan, BBF’s Fish Farm campaigner.
“The federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, just announced a goal of zero new extinctions. She listed both the Maugean skate and the red handfish as priority species. These fish are threatened by industrial fish farms. We want Minister Watt to tell us what the government’s plan is to protect their habitats. This Labor minister should be working with the community, not just the foreign-owned businesses exploiting our beautiful marine environments,” Allan said.
