The recent revelation of four dolphin deaths linked to Huon Aquaculture salmon farm operations has ignited widespread condemnation from environmental groups and politicians.
Media releases from Rosalie Woodruff MHA (Greens), Peter George MHA (independent), the Bob Brown Foundation and Neighbours of Fish Farming all highlight the deaths as further evidence of the salmon industry’s negative impact on protected marine life. The groups are demanding immediate action, including greater transparency, stricter regulations and an end to practices that harm wildlife, with some calling for prosecution and the removal of the industry from inshore waterways.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 8 September 2025
Seven Dolphins Killed In Shocking Salmon Farm Expose
In another shocking expose, the Tasmanian Inquirer has revealed four dolphins died from Huon Aquaculture salmon farm operations in the first half of this year, and another three have died from similar causes in 2024.
Also revealed were the deaths of 108 seals in Tasmanian salmon farms during the last seven years, including the horrific recent drowning of an Australian fur seal trapped inside a pen for a week after being shot multiple times by tranquiliser gun.
The continued deaths of protected wildlife from salmon farming, with the cruelty and suffering involved, highlights the urgency to end regulatory permissions and mandate farming preventative measures.
Seals and dolphins are protected species under the EPBC Act, but under Tasmanian regulations industrial salmon farms continue to be allowed to kill wildlife with no meaningful ramifications.
The assault on our native species by these multinational companies is unrelenting. Increasing numbers of dolphins are dying a horrible death tangled in nets. Explosives and lead-shot bullets are legally used against seals. Cormorants are approved to be shot dead as a “crop protection” measure, or drown in cages without bird netting.
We don’t need to a salmon review to show the legalised animal cruelty and slaughter of protected wildlife is wrong and must end immediately. Permission to shoot and throw explosives at wildlife needs to be banned, and mitigations must be installed on every salmon pen to prevent entanglements.
It shouldn’t take Right to Information requests to discover what is happening in public waterways. Reporting on salmon farming operations should be public, and disclosed in real-time, with severe penalties for wildlife deaths.
Tasmanian Inquirer article here.
Media release – Peter George MP, Independent for Franklin, 9 September 2025
Dolphin Deaths due to industrial salmon practices
The deaths of four dolphins in Tasmanian waterways due to salmon industry equipment and practices is more evidence the multinational producers cannot be trusted with protecting our marine life.
Furthermore, government agencies regulating the farmed salmon industry must urgently lift their game and vastly improve the industry’s accountability to Tasmanians.
Independent MP for Franklin, Peter George, calls for the immediate implementation of contemporaneous reporting of all wildlife interactions with salmon farms as well as expeditious public reporting for salmon disease, deaths and use of antibiotics.
Statement:
News of the deaths of four dolphins entangled in fish farm infrastructure is more damning evidence the industry cannot fulfil its obligations to end marine life fatalities due to its operations.
The deaths of dolphins, seals and seabirds in 2025 are unacceptable, especially as the industry promotes its open-net pens and practices as precisely designed to end these fatalities.
Reporting of these fatalities is also not fit for purpose with regulators releasing information from mandatory industry reporting only once every six months.
This is not good enough. Events like this occurring in public waterways should be reported contemporaneously at least every month if not more regularly and I will be taking up this issue with the Minister and with the regulators themselves.
The current method of releasing details of wildlife deaths due to salmon industry operations is clearly designed to obscure information as far as possible and keep it from reaching the Tasmanian public.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) needs to lift its game and become much more transparent. NRE is there to serve the public.
Media Release – Bob Brown Foundation, 8 September 2025
Factory fish farms kill four Tassie dolphins
As Tasmania’s factory fish farms become a graveyard for wildlife, Right to Information documents revealed by the Tasmanian Enquirer show that four dolphins were killed by entanglement in Huon Aquaculture pens.
News of the dolphins deaths come just a few weeks after the killing of a protected seal and 15 cormorants was also revealed by the Inquirer.
Bob Brown Foundation is calling for the prosecution of Huon Aquaculture for the dolphin deaths and for the Tasmanian Government to remove these wildlife death traps from Tasmania’s waters.
“The factory fish farms in Tasmania are a source of misery, destruction, cruelty and death. Tasmania’s waters used to be a safe haven for dolphins and seals: now they are death traps,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine campaigner at BBF.
“Consumers will be horrified to know that their Tasmanian factory farmed salmon is tainted with the deaths of dolphins and seals. Huon Aquaculture should be prosecuted for the killing of these dolphins just like an ordinary citizen would be. The dolphins are protected species under the EPBC Act,” said Allan.
Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming, 8 September, 2025
Dead dolphins a tragedy caused yet again by salmon farming
NOFF is appalled by revelations of more wildlife dying in Huon Aquaculture salmon farms. Documents released by the Tasmanian government state that four dolphins have been killed at their ocean net pen leases so far this year.
This comes just a few months after Huon Aquaculture was stripped of its RSPCA endorsement for fish welfare breaches.
The Tasmanian Inquirer reports that in total 7 dolphins have died in the past two years on salmon farms.
“It is not okay that Tasmanian wildlife is dying for the obscene profits of multi-national companies,” said Lisa Litjens, Vice President of Neighbours of Fish Farming.
“NOFF expects concerned members of Parliament to raise this scandal when it resumes tomorrow.” Litjens said.
Last week NOFF wrote to the Department of Natural Resources & Environment Tasmania requesting the updated marine wildlife interaction plan that was promised as part of the salmon industry plan in 2023.
“Our Tasmanian marine wildlife is protected by law, and yet the industry seems to get a free pass when it comes to the destruction of our marine mammals and birds,” says Jess Coughlan, Campaigner at Neighbours of Fish Farming.
“Any measures taken to protect our marine wildlife clearly aren’t working. The only solution is to remove this heavy industry from our sensitive inshore waterways, as recommended by the Legislative Council in 2022.” Coughlan said.
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