Aquaculture
Trapped Seals Raise Tassal Antibiotic Contamination Fears
Trapped seals in Tassal fish farm near Conningham in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel
Media Release – Bob Brown Foundation, 21 November 2025
Drone video captures five seals trapped inside a Tassal factory fish farm
Bob Brown Foundation has captured video of five seals trapped inside a Tassal factory fish farm near Conningham, in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.
The five seals were filmed yesterday, with a report immediately filed with the NRE Marine Mammal Incident Response Team. The fate of the seals remains unknown, with Bob Brown Foundation unable to stay in the area.
The vision comes on the back of RTI documents revealing four dolphin deaths and a seal death in factory fish farms in recent months.
The footage also raises serious questions about seals consuming the new, controversial antibiotic, Florfenicol, which has recently been approved for use in factory fish farms in Tasmania.
“This footage shows the inherent cruelty and risk these fish farms cause for native wildlife. These seals face becoming trapped and entangled, and if they are freed, may return to the fish farm only to be met with explosives or anti-riot bean bag shots,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine Campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.
“It never ends with this destructive industry. In one part of the channel, 700 kg of controversial antibiotics are being dumped into the water. Further up the waterway, five native seals are trapped in a pen. Elsewhere in the same stretch of water, the rock lobster fishery is shut down due to concerns about antibiotic contamination. The salmon factory farms have completely taken over Tasmania’s waters.”
“The industrial salmon industry is a blight on Tasmania’s reputation and has to go. It’s time to get fish farms out of Tasmania’s waters for good,” said Allan.
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