Media release – Jo Palmer, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, 1 May 2023
Tasmanian Salmon Industry Plan 2023 released
A salmon industry that is economically successful, environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and well-managed is at the forefront of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry Plan 2023.
Released on May 1, the Plan outlines the Rockliff Liberal Government’s priority outcomes and long-term direction for the industry.
Primary Industries and Water Minister Jo Palmer said through hard work, innovation, dedication and investment, Tasmania’s salmon industry had become the single biggest primary industry sector in our state, contributing $650 million annually to the Tasmanian economy.
“This contributes greatly to our regional economies, employing about 2000 Tasmanians directly and makes broader contributions through supporting transport, feed and many other businesses in the supply chain,” Minister Palmer said.
“This success story is something we should all be proud of because it also supports the Rockliff Liberal Government’s investments in the issues that matter most to Tasmanians like health, housing and education.
“To continue to build on these achievements we must remain future-focussed.”
The Rockliff Liberal Government’s vision is for a sustainable industry into the future all Tasmanians can be proud of – one that is economically successful, environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and well-managed.
“This vision will be delivered through four priority outcomes which have a focus on sustainable industry, healthy ecosystems, prosperous communities, and contemporary governance,” Minister Palmer said.
“The Salmon Industry Plan also prioritises the protection of our waterways for future generations, as well as focusing on improved transparency and engagement.”
Priority actions implemented through the Plan will achieve full cost recovery to Government from industry participants, ensure improved environmental outcomes for our waterways and provide aquaculture businesses with investment certainty into the future, allowing them to build capacity and deliver more jobs for Tasmanian residents.
The new Plan was informed by multiple rounds of public engagement in 2022 and 2023, which included more than 1200 public submissions and 10 community briefing sessions across the state.
Implementation of the Plan will be delivered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania in collaboration with the independent Environment Protection Authority, associated state government departments and research organisations.
For more information and to view the new Plan, visit nre.tas.gov.au/salmonplan
Media release – Tasmanian Alliance for Marine Protection, 1 May 2023
Salmon expansion plan triggered
Government plans to trigger the expansion of multinational-owned Atlantic salmon production in Tasmanian waters are due to be implemented today despite overwhelming community opposition. https://nre.tas.gov.au/aquaculture/salmon-farming/new-salmon-plan
The plans have been cloaked in secrecy despite consistent inquiries by the state’s peak marine protection body, Tasmanian Alliance for Marine Protection (TAMP).
“Media revelations of secret promises made by the Premier, Jeremy Rockliff to multinational salmon industry executives last November at a Liberal Party fundraiser let the cat out of the bag,” says Peter George, president of TAMP.
“They’re going to get what they demanded while Tasmanians and their coastal waters and inland waterways will pay the price.
“Yet again, this government kowtows to the will of big business and ignores the wishes of the people it’s supposed to represent. We have a weak premier, leading a weak cabinet directing a weak government that will pay the price at the next state elections.
“Draft environmental rules have already been condemned by independent scientists and environmental organisations as actually weakening regulations on the multinationals that own the Atlantic salmon industry.
“Recent polls show overwhelming support by Tasmanians to get the toxic Atlantic salmon industry out of our coastal waters.” https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Australia-Institute-Tasmanian-poll-3-Apr-2023-Marine.pdf
Tasmania’s shocking new salmon “plan” Equals business as usual for the salmon barons
The Tasmanian government has today produced a shameful document that amounts to no more than a plan to have a plan at sometime in the future – leaving Tasmania’s coastal waters at the mercy of multinational industrial salmon producers.
The “New Salmon Plan” consists of hollow promises that will never become reality.
The so-called plan includes new industrial salmon feedlots in undefined “deeper waters”, essentially increasing production in Storm Bay.
It leaves the industry’s polluting feedlots in shallow, protected coastal waterways where marine life is dying, reefs are being smothered and communities impacted.
Long on illustrations of happy fish farm workers but short on detail, the documents released today are designed to give cover to the multinational industrial salmon producers to do exactly what they want by expanding tonnage of salmon without reparation for the damage they cause.
The so-called plan would disgrace any government that had the best interests of its people and its state at heart, rather than the best interests of corporations and major party donors.
The stated aims are::
- Sustainable industry … BUT: there is nothing sustainable about the industry.
- Healthy ecosystems … BUT: Our coastal ecosystems are dying because of the sewage from feedlots.
- Prosperous communities – BUT: Communities are devastated by the industry destroying their fresh- and salt-waterways and their way of life
- Contemporary governance – BUT: The entire exercise is a corruption of process and has been proven to be so since Premier Rockliff met salmon executives at a Liberal Party fundraiser and promised them exactly what they wanted.
TAMP calls for independent investigation of dying reefs
TAMP affiliate, Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF), today releases disturbing video footage of a marine ecosystem being smothered just a kilometre from an industrial salmon feedlot.
Small movie attached: full res here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Plo5RUMTmGP6jZweXXh3iW-p81azZr9/view?usp=sharing
NOFF has called for an independent scientific investigation of and public report on the cause.
The video, filmed eight days ago (Sunday April 23), shows disturbing underwater footage from Cray Point, near Eggs and Bacon Bay near the mouth of the Huon River in SE Tasmania.
It is about 1km from a Huon Aquaculture lease owned by Brazilian multinational JBS.
“It’s shocking footage,” says Peter George.
“How appalling that crayfish can no longer survive at a place called Cray Point. In just a few years, the abalone have disappeared, too, and there are no longer any wildfish like flathead to be found.
“Divers describe a thriving reef just six or seven years ago and they have watched it being slowly smothered by nutrient overloads – and the only change in that time has been increased industrial activity of the Atlantic salmon companies.
“Industry and government denials of culpability are no longer credible – they can deny all they like but we know who the culprit is.
“It is unconscionable for the government to even contemplate industry expansion when it’s clear that the salmon feedlots are destroying coastal waterways.
TAMP and NOFF call for a full, open, transparent and independent report on the health of our coastal waters as an urgent priority.
Like so many water users, the divers who want this travesty of our waterways to be revealed also wish to remain anonymous because of potential retribution from the fish farms. NOFF has guaranteed their anonymity.
Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Marine Environment spokesperson, 1 May 2023
Fish Farm Plan Fail
The Liberals have spent nearly two years working on their much-vaunted plan for the future of the salmon farming industry, but all they’ve delivered is a glossy brochure that maintains the status quo.
With growing community and scientific backlash about the serious marine degradation being caused by fish farming, the Government announced two years ago it would develop a 10 year plan for the sector’s future. Despite big promises from multiple Liberal Ministers, the slim document released today delivers none of what’s needed to clean up this damaging industry.
Communities all around lutruwita/Tasmania are deeply concerned about industrial farming effluent pouring into public waterways and the loss of marine life. Rather than actions to properly clean up the industry, the Liberals’ glossy brochure is full of woolly, meaningless, buzzwords.
The so-called plan has no binding commitments, no targets, no limits and no firm timeframes. It’s a plan to continue with the unchecked industrial expansion that is polluting estuaries, rivers and bays, harming animals, and doing real brand Tasmania damage.
The Liberals may think they can hoodwink Tasmanians with this so-called plan as political cover until the next election, but they are sorely mistaken. People will see it for what it is, a cynical PR attempt and more of the same toxic approach.
The only option for a sustainable future salmon industry is a timeframe to transition out of public waters and onto land-based farming. Instead of taking action to protect our highly threatened marine life, the Liberals have focussed again on protecting the profits of massive international fish farm corporations.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 1 May 2023
Industrial salmon farms a runaway freight train of environmental destruction
Today, the Tasmanian Government’s expected announcement of a new plan to allow the expansion of industrial salmon farms shows the industry and the government are completely out of control.
Despite moratoriums against expansion and repeated promises to Tasmanian communities, today’s announcement has been heralded as ‘worse than before’ by independent scientists and experts.
“The reckless and negligent destruction of Tasmania’s rivers, bays and oceans is an unthinkable crime. How the Tasmanian government can receive such a wealth of science, legislative council reports and community input calling for a reduction in salmon farms, and then completely ignore it, is considered an intentional ecocide,” said Alistair Allan, Bob Brown Foundation Fish Farm Campaigner.
“An expected increase in the amount of visible damage allowed on the seafloor around a fish farm flies in the face of everything the government has been informed about and is the exact opposite of what should be happening.”
“It is now obvious that both Liberal and Labor are happy to completely ignore Tasmanians at the behest of industry. A recent poll found that 70% of Tasmanians have issues with this industry and want better regulations of industrial fish farms. Apparently, this means nothing when international juggernauts like JBS and Cooke are told by the Premier they can have it all. The Premier is failing the Tasmanian public.”
“At a time where it is increasingly recognised how valuable the oceans are to planetary health, and with the UN continually calling for more ocean areas to be protected, the Premier and the Tasmanian Government are failing Australia and the planet.”
