Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 6 March 2025

New footage shows horrors of Tasmanian factory-farmed salmon

Footage captured at Huon Aquaculture factory farms in southern Tasmania has shown live fish pumped into a bin amongst piles of dead salmon and then sealed and left to suffocate. Footage has also captured more rotting chunks of salmon spilling out of the factory farm pens and into Tasmania’s waterways.

Some estimates are that millions of salmon have died from a disease outbreak on the factory salmon farms in Tasmania’s south.

The footage comes from an RSPCA-certified farm.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on the RSPCA to drop their certification of Tasmanian farmed salmon immediately.

“It is now clear that the RSPCA has no choice but to drop their certification of this toxic and cruel industry. The footage of live fish being sealed in a tub and left to suffocate would shock anyone, let alone an organisation dedicated to the prevention of cruelty,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctica and Marine Campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.

“With such huge mortalities of salmon, documented cruelty, and a shameful history of killing and injuring native wildlife such as seals, the RSPCA will lose any last shred of credibility if they continue to certify Huon Aquaculture.”

“This footage also calls into question what is happening with these diseased fish. With insider reports that companies are selling infected fish to the public, there doesn’t seem to be any careful separation or sorting process between alive and dead, infected and not. Huon Aquaculture must immediately prove to the public they aren’t selling sick fish for consumption.”

“This is the reality of factory-farmed salmon. Our waterways and beaches are covered with rotting chunks of diseased salmon, the Maugean Skate has been pushed to the edge of extinction, reefs and seafloors are covered in sludge and slime and communities are completely fed up with the corporate takeover of their waters. Yet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thinks this industry should be exempt from federal environment law. Well, he better think again because Tasmanians know this toxic industry is destroying Tasmania,” said Alistair Allan.

Editor’s note: we have seen the footage supplied. It is disturbing and there is quite a lot of it. We do not currently have the capacity to upload long videos; we hope to have this later this year. At the end of the video from which the featured still is taken, two workers affix a lid on to the large tub the live salmon have been dumped into.

Media release – independent candidate for Franklin, Peter George, 6 March 2025

RSPCA should immediately withdraw support for fish farmer

The RSPCA must immediately revoke its accreditation of Huon Aquaculture’s Tasmanian salmon farms in light of the appalling video of live fish being boxed up with dead fish to suffocate to death.

This is not an isolated incident and is known to occur regularly in diseased salmon pens. The only reason Huon Aquaculture would be “extremely disappointed” – as it claims to be – would be because the incident has been videoed and revealed to consumers.

The RSPCA has long defended its accreditation of Huon Aquaculture claiming animal welfare would be even worse without its approval.

It’s hard to understand how the RSPCA can defend the industry with its overcrowded, diseased and polluted pens and its terrible record on animal welfare.

I call on the RSPCA to withdraw accreditation immediately.

Statement in response to TT questions – RSPCA (Australia) spokesperson, 6 March 2025

— untitled —

“This is an incredibly concerning incident that we were made aware of late on Wednesday

“The inhumane handling of live, sick or injured fish as shown is completely unacceptable.

“The RSPCA Approved Certification Body is, as a priority, seeking further information from Huon about how something like this could have happened, and based on this and any other information provided will consider what action is required in line with our processes.”

Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 6 March 2024

Liberals allowing salmon farming companies to pollute waterways

Credible estimates suggest the number of salmon deaths in the weeks-long mortality event are into the millions, but the Rockliff Government is still unable to be precise about the bacteria responsible or the impact on native fish. Worse, they gave no indication to the Greens’ in Parliament they’ll do anything concrete to rein in the biosecurity risks and fish farming companies’ toxic pollution of marine waters.

In response to Greens’ questions, the Liberals could not confirm whether Tasmanian salmon are infected with the same disease that caused the collapse of Chile’s entire industry. Salmon carcasses are not being contained within pens, and rotting chunks of diseased fish are spilling into surrounding waterways with untold harms to native fish and marine health. Community members are rightly concerned and deserve answers.

Deeply disturbing footage taken by the Bob Brown Foundation of Huon Aquaculture operations also shows live fish being stuffed into huge bins and left to suffocate. Do we need more evidence the salmon farming industry is built on animal cruelty?

The Liberals and EPA have covered up, downplayed and spread disinformation about the causes, extent and impacts of this mass salmon mortality. It’s clear they’ve given the salmon farming industry free rein to do whatever they want in Tasmanian waters.

The Liberals were silent when asked by the Greens whether the EPA would be free from their public sector hiring freeze. As well as being an outrageous reckless response in the midst of a biosecurity crisis, there’s no doubt an even weaker EPA would also benefit big salmon corporates.

The Rockliff Government needs to be transparent about the impacts salmon farming is having on public-owned waters. The EPA needs bolstered independence powers, and to conduct a proper investigation into the crisis unfolding in Tasmanian waterways.

Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming, 6 March 2025 

New footage reveals Huon Aquaculture is an animal welfare disaster! NOFF calls on RSPCA to rescind their endorsement immediately

Drone footage sourced by the Bob Brown Foundation was published by the ABC today, showing live fish at the south of Zuidpool Rock lease operated by Huon Aquaculture being smothered in a box with diseased carcasses. This raises major animal welfare concerns for the public, who place their trust in the RSPCA endorsement when purchasing endorsed products.

Jess Coughlan, campaigner at Neighbours of Fish Farming makes the following comments:

“This footage confirms what we already knew – that the salmon farming industry operating in Tasmanian waterways is an animal welfare nightmare. The RSPCA risks the reputation of their entire endorsement range if they continue to lend their label to Huon Aquaculture.”

“We challenge Huon Aquaculture to provide evidence to the contrary that this system of operating a diseased lease is business as usual”

“Shoppers rely on certifications and endorsements such as the RSPCA to make informed consumer choices that fit their values. Live animals suffering from disease that are left to suffocate to death absolutely should not earn the RSPCA badge that is displayed inshore alongside Huon Aquaculture farmed salmon.”

“Neighbours of Fish Farming calls on RSPCA to immediately cease all endorsement of Tasmania farmed salmon in light of the evidence now in the public.”