The Green Britain Foundation (GBF) has released the first video footage documenting sick and diseased factory farmed salmon in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour.

The organisation said it raises urgent concerns about the survival of the critically endangered Maugean skate, which exists nowhere else on Earth.

The groundbreaking footage, captured during an extensive underwater investigation by the GBF research team, reveals concerning health conditions among factory-farmed salmon populations that share waters with one of Australia’s most endangered marine species.

The farm is owned by Tassal, an ‘Australian’ seafood company, although its parent is Canadian-based multinational Cooke Aquaculture which also owns salmon farms in Scotland, USA and Chile.

The Maugean skate is endangered primarily due to degraded water quality in Macquarie Harbour, its only known habitat, and the impacts of human activities on this habitat. Specifically, low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by salmon farming and hydroelectric damming, are the main threats.

“These factory farmed salmon operations are run by multinational corporations with no genuine concern for local wildlife or ecosystems,” said Dale Vince, founder of the Green Britain Foundation.

“Their only priority is profit, regardless of the environmental cost. The Maugean skate is found nowhere else on Earth, yet these companies continue business as usual while a species faces extinction in their wake. This is the same pattern we’ve seen globally—corporations exploiting local environments while claiming to be responsible stewards.”

Following numerous exposes on the factory farmed salmon industry in Scotland the Green Britain Foundation felt it critical that Australians were able to see for themselves the reality of salmon farming. The foundation presence in Australia reflects the organisation’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges regardless of geography. Salmon farming is a global industry operating in relatively few countries, with similar environmental impacts observed across regions.

“What we’re seeing in Tasmania isn’t unique,” said Vince.

 “These multinational salmon farming companies use the same playbook everywhere they operate—they enter pristine environments, extract maximum profit, and leave devastation in their wake. They’ve perfected the art of greenwashing while their practices tell a completely different story.

“The Green Britain Foundation is committed to exposing this reality, whether it’s in our home waters or on the other side of the world.”

“Our experience in Scotland taught us an important lesson, the only way to reveal the true devastation caused by factory farming salmon is to investigate it ourselves. The industry has successfully concealed these impacts from the Australian public, just as they attempt to do in Scottish waters. We knew we had to apply the same direct investigation approach in Tasmania to uncover what’s really happening beneath the surface.”

The Foundation’s investigation in Tasmania continues its mission of bringing transparency to environmental impacts of industrial practices that threaten unique ecosystems and endangered species across the globe.

The GBF is calling for immediate action to protect the Maugean skate, including:

  1. Independent monitoring of salmon farm impacts on water quality in Macquarie Harbour
  2. Establishment of sanctuary zones for the Maugean skate that exclude industrial activity
  3. Comprehensive health assessments of wild marine populations in proximity to salmon farms
  4. Transparent public reporting of disease outbreaks and treatments used in salmon farming operations

“While factory farmed salmon presents itself as a sustainable industry, our evidence from Tasmania adds to a growing body of documentation showing similar environmental concerns wherever these operations exist,” added Vince.

“The Green Britain Foundation will continue to investigate and document these impacts to drive meaningful change in industry practices globally.”

Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 29 April 2025

ALBANESE CHALLENGED OVER HORRIFIC FISH FARM FILM.

PM should ban triploid (genetically modified) ‘frankenfish’ from human consumption.

UK charity Green Britain Foundation has released film footage showing many severely deformed and suffering salmon, which it says it filmed in pens in Macquarie Harbour early this month. The horrifying film challenges PM Albanese’s special protection of the very same fish pens.

It is known that genetically-modified or triploid salmon have been grown in the harbour – a reason the RSPCA has never certified fish from there. It is also the very salmon farming that Albanese and Dutton got together to protect from environmental laws last month.

Triploid Atlantic salmon are bred to grow and fatten at unnatural rates but suffer increased spinal deformities, blindness and other abnormalities.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on the state and federal governments to affirm or deny the use of triploids and for Premier Rockliff to allow independent investigators inside the factory fish farms in Macquarie Harbour to examine if they contain deformed fish.

“The images of deformed salmon struggling to swim would be more evidence of the horror show that is Tasmanian factory farmed salmon,” said Alistair Allan, BBF’s Antarctica and Marine Campaigner.

“These images are horrific. Unless disproved, they will unleash a fresh wave of revulsion against factory-bred Atlantic salmon from the Australian public.”

Media release – Peter George, independent candidate for Franklin, 29 April 2025

Horrific footage of deformed salmon

A full, open and transparent investigation must be launched immediately following the release of horrific film footage showing many severely deformed and suffering salmon, which the Green Britain Foundation says it filmed in pens in Macquarie Harbour early this month.

It is known that chromosonally-modified salmon—called triploids because of their engineered triple chromosome—form the majority of the Macquarie Harbour salmon stock and are used nowhere else in Tasmania.

Dubbed ‘Frankenfish’ by author Richard Flanagan, triploids are engineered to grow faster than normal salmon and are thus much more profitable for the salmon companies. Triploids though suffer abnormally high rates of spinal deformities, jaw deformities, blindness and deafness, and a range of other health abnormalities. Their use is banned in Norway.

Independent candidate Peter George for Franklin dubbed the Macquarie Harbour salmon farming operation as ’the harbour of horror’.

“From a species as old as the dinosaurs, the Maugean skate, being pushed to extinction, to the World Heritage Area being trashed, to Frankenfish being bred to suffer a life of excruciating torment, the harbour of horror is what Labor and Liberal voted to place above and beyond any Federal environmental law.

“No one can doubt the need for a full and open investigation of this footage reportedly filmed in Macquarie Harbour.

“What decent Australian can look at this footage and think that suffering is justified to make money for tax evading foreign owned multinationals?

“I call on the Prime Minister to fund new tourism infrastructure for ehe west coast and find the 20 workers that according to the ABS work in the Macquarie Harbour salmon industry new and better jobs.”

Media release – Nick McKim, Greens Senator for Tasmania, 29 April 2025

Disturbing images highlight salmon industry’s grotesqueness

Images released by UK charity Green Britain Foundation showing deformed and suffering salmon in Macquarie Harbour have once again highlighted the industry’s reliance on animal cruelty, the Greens say.

“This is a grotesque industry that has a business model based on animal cruelty,” Greens Senator for Tasmania Senator Nick McKim said.

“Salmon pens are torture pens, and the entire industry is built on animal cruelty, environmental damage and species exctinction.”

“They have absolutely no regard for the suffering that they are causing to the salmon they are farming, let alone the rest of the environment.”

“This out-of-control industry has repeatedly shown it is not capable of self regulation, but they keep getting away with scandalous behaviour because they have captured the Labor and Liberal parties.”

“We badly need strong and independent investigation of this toxic industry.”

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