Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 1 April 2025
Biosecurity Crisis Unfolding in Tasmanian Waters
Images of dead salmon being pumped from a Tasman Peninsula lease over the weekend, and plans for antibiotics to be sprayed into pens off Bruny Island, show we are witnessing the biggest biosecurity disaster in recent Tasmanian history.
It’s now confirmed Piscirickettsia salmonis disease has spread throughout the entire south-east of Tasmania.
Millions of salmon are dead or dying horrible deaths in once pristine waters.
Despite misinformation from the salmon industry, this marine disaster is sadly far from over.
Anglers fishing in Storm Bay must now hang up their rods while Huon Aquaculture contaminates native fish, mammals and bird populations with the broad spectrum antibiotic oxytetracycline.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to global public health, and it’s deeply concerning foreign-owned corporations are continuing to dose up the wild fish we eat.
Just like the disaster throughout the Huon River in February and March, it seems in April millions of dead Atlantic salmon will be pumped out of Storm Bay leases and dumped in landfill.
This viral disease now appears impossible to control. The situation represents an epic failure in biosecurity management by the Tasmanian government at the behest of Big Salmon corporates. Control of the disease cannot continue to involve the mass dumping of antibiotics into marine waters.
