The Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) has released an audit report of Petuna Seafoods fish farms in Macquarie Harbour. It shows serious breaches of ASC conditions but still recommends the company be awarded ASC certification.

“From plummeting oxygen levels to use of WHO-listed Critically Important antibiotics, the ASC’s audit report for Petuna provides a snapshot of the ecological disaster in Macquarie harbour,” says Laura Kelly, Strategy Director at Environment Tasmania
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“The fact that the ASC Audit team still recommends certification for farms where 85,000 fish were suffocated in March 2015 because of low oxygen levels, raises serious concerns about the integrity of the ASC label,” Ms Kelly said.

“Consumers buying salmon with an ASC logo expect environmental best-practice. They would be shocked to discover their salmon came from farms that are discharging pollution into a World Heritage Area and threatening listed endangered species.

Leading researchers have described Macquarie Harbour as a ‘biological system under stress’, certifying salmon from these farms will destroy any trust consumers have in the value of the ASC logo,” Ms Kelly said.

Even more worrying than the 28 criteria Petuna is shown to be in breach of, are the criteria they should be found in breach of but have received a tick for.

“The report finds the company has complied with local regulations, when publicly available Government data shows the company is in breach of licence conditions relating to water quality and build-up of fish faeces.

“The report finds they comply with requirements for no use of antibiotics the WHO lists as Critically Important for human health, when data in the report itself shows the company is using oxytetracycline – a WHO-listed Critically Important antibiotic.”

Environment Tasmania will be appealing ASC certification for any salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour – including Tassal’s operations.

Download a copy of Environment Tasmania’s submission to the ASC Audit team:

RED_ALERT_and_GREEN_WASH.pdf
Laura Kelly, Strategy Director, Environment Tasmania.