Campaign – ‘Too Cute to Shoot’

Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming, 24 April 2023

NOFF launches Australian and Global Campaign To End Cruel Treatment of Fur Seals

A global campaign to halt the killing, maiming and injuring of Tasmania’s protected fur seals by the Atlantic salmon industry has been launched by Neighbours of Fish Farming.

The campaign is launched today with a short film, Too Cute to Shoot.

NOFF is collaborating with the global campaigner, Ekō, with a global reach of 22 million people, including several hundred thousand in Australia. https://www.eko.org

NOFF president, Peter George says the campaign is a result of State and Federal authorities’ failure to protect fur seals from harm at the hands of industrial salmon producers.

“The real numbers of seals killed, maimed and injured is well hidden but best available figures show around two die each month,” Mr George says.

“This is done in the name of deterrence to protect workers on salmon feedlots but the real cause is outright negligence.

“Shotguns firing lead-filled projectiles, underwater explosives and blunt-tipped darts are cheaper than designing and constructing feedlots that prevent seal incursions and protect workers.

“When the Rockliff government green-lights expansion for the multinational salmon producers next month more seals will be killed, more will die slowly from their injuries.

“If the companies cannot operate without these barbaric practices, they should not be permitted to operate in our waters.

“They’re so driven by profit and so heedless of marine life that they won’t invest in safer structures to protect both humans and seals from harm.

“The government’s Seal Management Framework, supposed to protect the seals, is a farce and clearly designed to give industrial salmon producers cover for the mistreatment of marine wildlife.

“The industry and government collaborate to keep the public in the dark about the outrageous treatment of some of our most loved marine life.”

NOFF films are produced in collaboration with LOWCo.

NOTE TO EDITORS: There is no independent monitoring of the harm caused to seals because the companies self-report. There is no reliable information on the true extent of deaths and injuries, including how many seals are badly injured and die later, potentially after suffering for weeks.

Known Facts and Figures – excludes unreported injuries and deaths

. More than 134,000 seal ‘crackers’ (underwater explosives) in six years.

. 25 seal deaths in a 12-month period

. 275 lead-weighted projectiles fired at seals in 18-month period.

Too cute to shoot Campaign Film LOWCo from NOFF Tasmania on Vimeo.