Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens’ Leader
Tasmania’s salmon industry has again been let off the leash and back into the waters of Macquarie Harbour which are still recovering from the industry’s rampant expansion.
Despite assurances, the Greens have no confidence that restocking the Franklin lease is the right move for Macquarie Harbour and the adjacent World Heritage Areas.
We have heard these promises before.
We need to stop allowing the industry to write its own rules. That’s what got Tasmania’s marine environment into trouble in the first place and it has undoubtedly caused significant damage to Macquarie Harbour.
Some million-odd fish have already died in the harbour over the past year. The Franklin lease on the edge of the TWWHA was the most controversial before its destocking last year.
The idea that the area is safe for increased exploitation does not pass the sniff test.
As the communities in the way of this industry’s unsustainable expansion have made clear, there should be a moratorium on fish farm expansion until we can truly deliver a world’s best practice industry.
That would help build a strong social license and allow for a more sustainable industry in the future.
Government and the industry need to go back to the drawing board. They need to start with genuine consultation with coastal communities, conservationists, recreational fishers and others who enjoy Tasmania’s marine environment before any further expansion takes place.