Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP – Greens Environment spokesperson
“The plan announced by the Liberals to continue the growth of the state’s salmon farming industry in Commonwealth waters is an industrial-scale red herring distraction, designed to take community focus off the ongoing marine pollution and animal welfare harm being caused in Tasmanian waters.
“Consumers are walking away from Tasmanian salmon because of the impacts from the Liberal’s poorly-regulated industry. Coastal communities and consumers would understand the government’s announcement is an attempt to leap frog the mess salmon farming has created in Tasmanian waters, and jump into another pond.
“How could we trust the Liberals to make sure offshore fish farms are not damaging the marine environment, when they’ve failed so spectacularly to do this for coastal operations?
“The Liberals’ plan to double the size of the salmon farming industry is doomed to failure without a social licence.
“Minister Barnett needs to release the MOU arrangements that have been entered into with commonwealth bodies. To regain consumer confidence in an authentic Tasmanian clean, green salmon, we need rigorous regulation and independent oversight of fish farm operations anywhere.”
Peter Whish-Wilson – Senator for Tasmania
“The salmon farming industry cannot contain its mess at a local-scale, and now we’re expected to believe they will behave appropriately out of sight and out of mind in our Commonwealth waters?
“If Jonno Duniam wants the salmon farming industry to maintain even a shred of legitimacy, then he should pressure his Tasmanian colleagues to clean up state waterways - not give what is clearly a deeply troubled industry a free pass to our oceans.
“The Liberals’ failure to properly regulate this industry is utterly shameful. The community will take a lot of convincing to see merit in today’s announcement given the industry’s appalling track record.
“A global tide of marine plastic, climate change, and invasive species are putting radical pressures on the marine environment. The last thing our Commonwealth waters need is a massive expansion of poorly regulated and polluting salmon farms.
“The Federal Government’s weak environmental laws have been a failure on land, and we are very concerned at this national push to farm our oceans when they already face such enormous pressures.”