Renewed Call to Refuse Renewal of Long Bay Salmon Farming Lease

Media release – Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection, 11 November 2022

Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection renew calls for Minister to refuse renewal of Marine Farming Lease in Long Bay

The Taman community has been running a campaign to “Give Back Long Bay” since July and asking that Tassal remove its pens and cease the environmental harm being done to the bay. As we outlined to Minister Palmer in August, this can be achieved as she has the power to refuse renewal of Tassal’s Marine Farming Licence, due to expire by the end of this month. The Minister has completely ignored our submission on this matter and did not even have the courtesy to follow up on our meeting.

With the takeover of Tassal by Cooke Aquaculture alarms bells are ringing. Ringing hard now we hear that our Premier held a lucrative fundraiser dinner with salmon industry bosses. Its now clear why government pushed its 10 Year Salmon Plan paying no heed to the LeGCo inquiry, or the petitions tabled in Parliament on October 19, or the recent letter to Tasmanians from the Global Salmon Farming Resistance warning of the dangers to Tasmania of Cooke Aquaculture coming into our waters.

Government has a plan and clearly that does not involve listening to community who are crying out for Big Salmon to obtain a Social Licence to operate. A community that watches the environmental destruction of our bays and rivers from an unsustainable industry now entirely foreign owned.

Our government is simply not listening. Early November before Cooke took possession of Tassal, TPMP chair Terry Brumby urged that “government mandate the removal of salmon operations in shallow bays, as recommended and demand government respond to the voices of community and demonstrate they are representing Tasmanians and not in the pocket of these dangerous foreign owned companies”. Sadly it now seems the reason we are stonewalled by government when we voice our concerns is that money for political gain talks far louder than community.