Media release – Environment Protection Authority, 6 March 2025
Data shows salmon mortality event unprecedented
The EPA is continuing its investigation into how congealed fish oil washed up on shorelines in the southern D’Entrecasteaux Channel area following notifications from Verona Sands residents on 16 February.
Acting CEO and Director of the EPA, Cindy Ong, said the Authority is conducting thorough investigations into potential breaches of environmental licences, waste regulations and the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994.
“The EPA has recently imposed new environmental licence conditions that require monthly reporting of the combined weight of deceased fish arising from marine finfish farms, with the first of these reports expected later this month,” said Ms Ong.
“The conditions also require deceased fish to be removed from pens as soon as practicable and the waste must be transported by a Controlled Waste Transporter and taken to a site approved by either the EPA or local council.”
Reporting by facilities regulated by the EPA in the south of the state, that are permitted to receive salmon mortality waste, has occurred this week for the month of February. Data for the month of February shows over 5,500 tonnes of salmon mortality waste was received across a number of these facilities.
Site inspections of facilities receiving mortality waste have commenced and will continue over the coming weeks. While these facilities have been largely found to be compliant with permitted quantity limits, some facilities have been found to be non-compliant with other requirements and this will likely result in enforcement action.
Ms Ong said mortalities are a known aspect of salmon farming worldwide and are typically elevated during the summer months, when warmer waters and other factors affecting salmon health, including certain diseases, are more likely to occur.
Tasmania’s Chief Veterinary Officer has advised the salmon mortality event in the lower D’Entrecasteaux Channel is largely due to an endemic bacterium, with recent testing detecting the bacterium known as Piscirickettsia salmonis (P. salmonis).
“The 2024-25 summer season saw a significant increase in mortality notifications in the southern region compared to previous years, with hundreds of pen notifications in February in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel region alone.”
Ms Ong said the EPA requires salmon companies to conduct detailed antibiotic residue monitoring of sediments and wild fish following application of antibiotics to fish farm pens.
“To date, antibiotic residue levels observed in wild fish samples outside of lease areas, collected under our monitoring requirements, have remained below the maximum concentration of antibiotics in wild fish flesh in accordance with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) advice.”
The investigation remains ongoing and is likely to conclude later this year.
Media release – Vica Bayey MP – Greens Environment spokesperson, 7 March 2025
Salmon Death Impacts Spread, EPA & Industry Ducking For Cover
“The biggest salmon mortality event ever seen in Tasmania continues to escalate in scale and impact, but the EPA is keeping Tasmanians in the dark.
“The gross salmon matter resulting from this situation is spreading further, with reports it’s been found on the western side of the Huon River this morning. Clearly this shows the extent of the pollution impact is huge.
“What we’re seeing raises huge environmental concerns and is having a clear impact on the community. But the EPA continues to withhold information from the public and refuses to answer the most basic questions. They need to stop with the secrecy and be up front with Tasmanians.
“While this crisis has been escalating, the CEO of Huon Aquaculture has cut and run to a job in Europe. This approach tells the public all they need to know about the attitude the multinational corporations running the salmon industry have towards Tasmania.”
Nick McKim – Greens Senator for Tasmania
“The salmon industry is totally out of control and ducking for cover.
“What we’re seeing now is the result of a captive state and federal government who have been completely unwilling to hold this toxic industry to account.
“The state Liberals are running a Donald Trump style deregulation agenda, and Labor federally are promising to weaken Australia’s environment laws for the very salmon corporations who are polluting our coastlines.
“The Greens are the only party with the guts to stand up to the salmon industry. They need to be held to account for what is becoming an environmental disaster.”
Leah Byers
March 7, 2025 at 01:51
Just imagine if we threw only five tonnes of diseased chickens or pigs into our waterways!
But our government is saying “nothing to see here!”
Chief Editor TT
March 7, 2025 at 12:10
The maths in this case is 5,500 tonnes! That’s what has been dumped at waste facilities. As we can see from the video evidence, some of the dead fish do end up in the waterways as they spill during the pumping process from pen to bin.
Geoffrey Swan
March 8, 2025 at 09:29
Here are two anecdotal comments on social media sites in the Huon Valley. The first report says that the trucks have been operating 24/7 for the past two weeks in traveling along the Huon Highway.
— “Some of the trucks were coming through town well over 80kph and then powering on as they got past Petty Sessions at night. Wish there had of been a speed camera in town. Rattled the windows in our house every time.”
— “The day after the Verona sands news broke I was going to Hobart via Huonville. Had to stop at Grand hotel for traffic, truck went by and the smell was so bad people on the street were visually gagging as we were. I knew exactly what it was. Hence why I think they changed the times to go through Huonville to attract minimal attention.”