Media release – The Australia Institute, 14 April 2023
Reduce Inshore Salmon Farming to Protect Tassie Coast: Research
Public opinion backs science, as Government continues to side with salmon industry
New research reveals an overwhelming number of Tasmanians want reduced inshore salmon farming consistent with recommendations from a recent Parliamentary inquiry, amid high levels of concern for the health of Tassie’s coastal environment.
The public opinion research reinforces the recommendations of the Parliamentary Inquiry into fin-fish farming. The Government has so far resisted supporting recommendations to reduce inshore salmon farming.
Experts say the Government should listen to public opinion and scientific evidence by committing to the recommendations in full.
Key Points:
- 3 in 4 (76%) Tasmanians are concerned about the health of Tasmania’s coastal environment
- More than 7 in 10 (72.1%) Tasmanians support the Parliamentary Inquiry recommendation to reduce inshore salmon farming sites, with priority given to ceasing operations in sensitive, sheltered, and biodiverse areas.
- 1 out of 2 Tasmanians (49.8%) are not confident that State Government’s law reforms will do enough to protect the health of Tasmania’s coastal waters.
- Over 80% support one or more key management actions to strengthen protection of marine life including:
- 19% supporting reducing catch limits
- 22.3% supporting protecting fish nurseries
- 10.1% supporting an immediate ban on recreational gill netting
- 30.2% supporting all the above actions
- Only 5.6% did not support any of these management actions being taken
- Two Party Preferred Liberal 47% Labor 53%
“This research shows that when it comes to protecting Tasmania’s coast we have public opinion and scientific evidence on one side, and the vested interests of the salmon industry on the other. We’re hopeful the Government does the right thing by implementing all recommendations from the Parliamentary inquiry”, said Eloise Carr, Director of the Australia Institute Tasmania.
“Three in four Tasmanians are concerned with the health of our coastal environment and seven in 10 back a reduction in inshore salmon farming.
“The message from this research is clear: Tasmanians want the Government to listen to the evidence and support recommendation 3 from the Parliamentary Inquiry to reduce industrial salmon farming so close to our coast and ocean communities.
“Tasmanians want to protect their marine life, but they appear to have lost faith in this government to undertake meaningful reform to protect the environment. Almost half (49.8%) are not confident that State Government’s law reforms will do enough to protect the health of Tasmania’s coastal waters. This is despite most people being unaware just how bad the situation is with some of Tasmania’s most popular fish stocks.
“Recent research by IMAS and other scientists found that more than 500 common species of fish, seaweed, coral and invertebrate marine life have declined around Australia in the past decade. Of particular concern to Tasmanians is that these declines are most marked in the rocky kelp-dominated reefs in cooler southern waters, including around Tasmania.”
Polling was undertaken on 4-5 April 2023, with 816 Tasmanians surveyed. Polling brief is attached.
Media release – Environment Tasmania, 14 April 2023
LATEST POLLING SHOWS MAJORITY OF TASMANIANS WANT SALMON FARMS OUT OF INSHORE WATERS AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HEALTH OF TASSIE’S MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
The latest polling results from the Australia Institute paint a picture of an island community worried about the health of their coastal waters and keen to see salmon farms out. Almost three quarters of Tasmanians support the Parliamentary inquiry recommendation to cease salmon farming in ‘sensitive, sheltered and biodiverse areas’ and 76% are concerned about the decline in the marine environment.
“This is an opportunity for the Rockliff Liberal government to show some leadership in returning inshore, public waters to the community from the hands of the salmon industry” says Rebecca Howarth, Marine Campaigner for Environment Tasmania.
“It is also an opportunity for the government to heed the community’s concerns about Tasmania’s declining marine environment and commit to a complete reform of our marine laws and management practices. The review of the Living Marine Resources Management Act is a great first step, but polling also found half of Tasmanians don’t believe that the review will go far enough to get a great result for the health of Tassie’s oceans.”
“Tasmania’s marine environment is world-class and these polling results speak volumes about the concerns the community have about their decline, their utter discontent at the presence of the salmon industry and a lack of trust in the due processes. This is embarassing for Tasmania while Australia signs global commitments to ocean health. It is time for complete reform and to prioritise ocean health. The future of our unique island life-style depends on it.”
Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming, 13 April 2023
Industry Employs Mainlander Lobbyist To Spruik Industrial Salmon
“The entirely foreign-owned Atlantic salmon industry is so out of touch with Tasmanians that it has been forced to employ a mainland lobbyist and nephew of former Prime Minister, John Howard, to shore-up its collapsing social licence,” says Peter George, president of Neighbours of Fish Farming (The Mercury, Salmon Industry Climate Concern, April 13, 2023)
“The industry and its lobbyist, Lyle Howard are deluding themselves if they believe opposition to its polluting practices are the concern only of a small number of opponents.
“The fact is that the industry’s reputation and social licence has collapsed with community-wide opposition now stretching from Flinders Island, to the northwest of the state and to the southeast where marine life and and coastlines are already being destroyed by polluting open-net salmon cages.
“As a mainlander, Mr Howard is likely unaware of the depths of opposition to the industry, as are the wilfully ignorant foreign-owned companies, Tassal, Huon and Petuna.
“In fact local groups opposing the industry are forming around the state at a greater rate than ever as plans for industry expansion around the island, regulated by newly impoverished environmental standards, are due to be announced next month.
“In Wynyard alone (population 6,250) two weeks ago a new group, run by women who have never taken part in activism before, attracted between 800 and 1,000 people on a Sunday afternoon to make clear their opposition to industry.
“Mr Howard and his lobby group Salmon Tasmania have made no effort to address community concerns or talk directly with community groups.
“He cannot fake it with spin that bears no relationship to reality.
“With his political background, Mr Howard would be wiser to advise his Tasmanian political friends about the growing electoral danger for any politician backing this ever more unpopular industry going into the next state election and about the dangers posed by a foreign-owned industry that operates behind a wall of secrecy and thinks it can get away with poisoning our waters and undermining our democracy at secret Liberal Party donor dinners.”
