A local residents not-for-profit action group dedicated to protecting specific coastal areas from the practices of the fish farming industry, particularly the salmon industry, chose not to sign the joint letter to the Premier from a coalition of green and community groups due to a conviction that the recent environmental crisis requires a more drastic response than simply writing to the Premier.
Media release – Ian Sale, Acting Chair, Friends of the Bays, 30 September 2025
Friends of the Bays were unable to sign on with the coalition of green and community groups in their joint letter to the Premier (Tasmanian times, 29 September 2025).
We would like to explain why.
There were events last summer which ratcheted up concern about the health of our waters to new levels.
Those issues included –
a massive fish mortality event
washing up of bits of decomposed salmon on many beaches
overwhelming of disposal arrangements by the extent of the mortality
the capacity of Piscirickettsia to cause ongoing problems, as in Chile
concern as to whether dead or moribund fish was being processed for sale
algal blooms
salp blooms
bloom of Moon Jellyfish
In our view those events alone require an extensive public enquiry.
We suspect that an independent enquiry may find that there are even more compelling reasons for winding back the salmon industry and implementing more effective regulation.
Our group has little confidence in the willingness of the Premier to listen to advice he does not like. He has form in this.
And the appointment of Janie Finlay to the position of shadow environment minister shatters any hope that Labor’s change of leadership will change their slavish support of the salmon companies. But, although the career politicians remain wedded to Big Salmon, the political environment has changed following the quota-busting election of independents to parliament.
We expect those independents to work for the establishment of an effective independent enquiry, which in turn may convince even more Tasmanians to demand change.
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