Media release – Environment Protection Authority (EPA), 21 February 2025, 16:47

EPA investigating biological material found on southern Tasmania beach

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has opened an investigation into how a quantity of biological material washed up on Verona Sands beach last weekend.

Huon Aquaculture Company proactively coordinated initial clean-up efforts around Verona Sands, and the material has been disposed of at an EPA approved facility. Salmon companies will be visiting beaches around the southern channel area this weekend and collecting material that they find.

Samples collected by the EPA have been analysed and interim laboratory results indicate the material to be fish oil, likely derived from the elevated fish mortalities that have been affecting multiple pens at Tasmanian fish farms over recent weeks.

The interim laboratory results on the material do not indicate presence of the antibiotic medicine currently being used to treat a bacterial fish disease that is endemic in Tasmanian coastal waters.

Deceased fish are a controlled waste, which means that sites receiving the material must have approval from either the EPA or local council. The EPA is monitoring the situation at waste management facilities that it regulates. Transporters of the deceased fish must also be registered with the EPA as Controlled Waste Transporters.

Aquatic biosecurity threats should be reported to Biosecurity Tasmania on 1300 368 550.

Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888.

Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 21 February 2025

New images show enormous scale of Tasmanian factory fish farm deaths

Bob Brown Foundation has captured more shocking images of massive dump-truck-like skips, filled to the brim with rotting, dead salmon at both Huon Aquaculture and Tassal sites in Tasmania. The images show crate after crate of dead salmon being dumped in what is now certain to be a case of hundreds of thousands of fish dying around the state.

The images come off the back of both companies and industry PR front Salmon Tasmania attempting to downplay and, in Tassal’s case, decline to comment about the huge deaths that are currently occurring in these factory farms of the sea.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on Prime Minister Albanese to reverse his outrageous suggestion of introducing legislation exempting this polluting and cruel industry from federal environmental laws.

Bob Brown Foundation is also demanding that the Tasmanian Government shut down all fish farms experiencing such high death rates and that the EPA investigate what has led to this mass mortality and disease event in these factory farms.

“This is destroying Tasmania’s clean, green brand. It cuts right across the job-rich farming and hospitality industries’ special reputation for quality, freshness and authenticity. It is a very damaging scandal for Tasmania,” said Bob Brown.

“These huge skip bins filled with dead and rotting salmon show the Australian public and consumers just how cruel and disgusting factory-farmed salmon is,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine Campaigner.

“This industry is nothing but a source of pollution, suffering and death. This is the reality of farmed salmon. For days and days on end, we have seen rotting fish being pulled from these industrial cages. Now we are hearing that local tips can’t manage all the rotting fish and it’s being dumped on farmland. The EPA must tell the public where these sick fish are being dumped.”

“Consumers around Australia are now seeing the disgusting truth and impacts of farmed salmon that happens for Tasmanian farmed salmon to reach the supermarket shelf. The Prime Minister should go and talk to the residents of Verona Sands, who had chunks of diseased salmon fat wash up on their local beach and explain to them why on Earth he believes this industry should be exempt from federal laws.”

“The RSPCA also must immediately stop certifying Huon Aquaculture salmon, given their complete and irrefutable disregard to the welfare of their fish,” said Alistair Allan.

Media release – Vica Bayley MP, Greens Environment Spokesperson; Senator Nick McKim, 21 February 2025

Transparency needed on mass salmon deaths

Vica Bayley MP:
The EPA has confirmed what the public suspected – the fatty chunks washing ashore on Tasmanian beaches are a result of mass farmed salmon deaths. The salmon farming companies are responsible for this rank pollution that stopped local communities from using their beaches during summer.

The salmon farming companies and Liberal Government need to be fully transparent with Tasmanians. The public has a right to know about the scale of the salmon deaths, what work is being done on this catastrophe and the implications this has for the Tasmanian environment.

As climate change continues to heat our waters, mass fish deaths which effectively close Tasmanians beaches during summer will become the new normal. The salmon farming industry relies on trashing the Tasmanian environment, and the Liberals need to step up and shut it down.

Senator Nick McKim:
The salmon farming corporations need to stop ducking for cover and the government needs to hold the industry to account. This was a disgusting and gross pollution event on a much-loved beach. It’s time for marine ecosystems to be prioritised over corporate profit.

For too long salmon farming corporations have acted as though they are above the law. Their industry profits are underpinned by mass fish mortality and using waterways and coastlines and dumping grounds.

Media release – Australia Institute Tasmania, 21 February 2025

Tasmania’s salmon crisis – public meeting

Tasmania’s salmon industry is in crisis.

On one side of the state, fish are dying in huge numbers in commercial pens and washing up on beaches.

Salmon Tasmania admits it’s dealing with a “really difficult situation” after bacteria swept through the pens at a commercial operation in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

On the other side of Tasmania, foreign-owned salmon farms are driving the endangered Maugean skate to extinction.

Yet, just days ago, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to Salmon Tasmania promising special laws to allow it to continue operating in Macquarie Harbour.

“The footage of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of salmon is horrific. This is the industry the Prime Minister says doesn’t need federal oversight and is willing to pass special legislation to protect,” said Eloise Carr, Director, Australia Institute Tasmania.

“This sends a message to the fossil fuel mining industry and other environmentally destructive sectors that the Australian government will not let environmental laws stand in the way of their business.”

Eloise Carr will be among the speakers at tomorrow’s Friends of the Bays public meeting.

The media is invited to attend:

Public Meeting

WHERE: South Arm Calverton Hall, 3147 South Arm Road, South Arm Tasmania 7022

WHEN: 4-6pm Saturday 22 February 2024


Media release – Peter George, independent candidate for Franklin, 20 February 2025

THE COVER UP …. AND THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT MASS SALMON MORTALITIES

10 QUESTIONS FEDERAL FISHERIES MINISTER, JULIE COLLINS, MUST ANSWER (see below)

Farmed salmon are dying in plague proportions in southeast Tasmanian waters amid a cover-up by government, regulator and industry.

Reports that dead and dying fish have been processed for human consumption must be investigated.

Hundreds of thousands of diseased, dying and dead salmon are contaminating our waterways. Beach and water-users and fishers need to know what threat these dire events are to public health.

I challenge Federal Fisheries minister and local MP, Julie Collins, to demand all the facts from the State government, the regulator and the industry. And then publish them.

Julie Collins must act on behalf of the community by demanding the salmon industry provides full and open disclosure immediately.

I call on the regulator to immediately report the full extent of the carnage and its impact.

THIS IS WHAT’S HAPPENING, AS REPORTED BY RELIABLE INDUSTRY SOURCES:

Jellyfish blooms, warming waters, viruses and disease are decimating salmon which are dying slow, painful deaths in contaminated feedlots. The death toll grows daily and is in the hundreds of thousands.

Contractors hired to dispose of fish carcasses cannot keep pace with the demand. Scores more mort bins have been ordered. Facilities for mort dumping are overwhelmed.

The costs to the multinationals is amounting to millions of dollars a week but no one is counting the cost to waterways, marine life and environment.

The regulator is taking part in the cover-up by claiming it’s protecting the multinationals’ commercial-in-confidence. The State government remains silent.

Reliable long-time industry insiders speaking to me and to community watchdogs like Neighbours of Fish Farming, are afraid to speak publicly because of non-disclosure agreements and fear of retribution from the multinationals that run the salmon industry.

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS FOR WHICH JULIE COLLINS (AND JOURNALISTS) NEEDS TO SEEK ANSWERS:

Vast numbers of salmon have died this summer in Tasmania’s south east, so many that rendering and dumping facilities have been overwhelmed.

If the multinational producers, Tassal, Huon Aquaculture and Petuna have nothing to hide and claim “world’s best practice”, they must fully answer the following questions:

1.      Have any dead, dying or diseased salmon been processed for human consumption?

2.      What measures are being taken to protect human users of the waterways from contaminated waters?

3.      How many fish, what tonnage of fish, what percentage of fish have died? Report on a monthly basis.

4.      What percentage of deaths have been caused by a. suffocation from jellyfish blooms b. warming waters c. disease d. viral outbreaks e. other causes? Provide details.

5.      How many tonnes of antibiotic feed pellets have been used to treat disease? Name the disease & antibiotic.

6.      How many tonnes of medicated feed have been used to treat viral outbreaks? Name the virus/es

7.      What medication is used in the feed pellets deployed to combat viruses?

8.      Can these medications get into the human food chain? If so, what measures are being taken to guard against such an outcome?

9.      In which specific areas/leases are the mortalities occurring?

10.  Which facilities (and where) are being used to dispose of carcasses including rendering and land-based dumping?