Environment Tasmania today recognised Labor’s efforts to clean-up the salmon farming governance mess created by the Hodgman Government, but questioned the Labor’s continued support for Tassal’s plans to intensively farm in inshore locations on Tasmania’s east coast.
“Labor has trumped Hodgman in its commitment to release the evidence of the environmental impacts of industrial salmon farming – while the Premier has been happy to withhold evidence of serious harm in Macquarie Harbour to benefit Tassal,” said Laura Kelly, Environment Tasmania.
“But Okehampton By remains the elephant in the room for both parties. There is no way they can maintain that they are committed to the science on sustainable salmon, while approving an intensive inshore operation in prime tourism and fishing territory on our east coast.”
“The international scientific research is clear that any site that is shallower than 50 metres, and warmer than 17 degrees celcius is not environmental best-practice for industrial scale farming. Tassal’s east coast plans fail on both criteria as well as on current speed – faeces will build up under the pens if Tassal are allowed to farm the east coast at the intensity they plan to,” Ms Kelly said.
Laura Kelly Strategy Director Environment Tasmania
