West Coast salmon visit gives industry hope but not everyone’s happy

Anthony Albanese walked right into the middle of the battlefield between the salmon industry and environmentalists by visiting Macquarie Harbour on Saturday. What he promised to industry.

Senator Anne Urquhart greets Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Tassal salmon farm in Strahan Tasmania. Picture: Simon McGuire

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used a visit to the West Coast to throw his support behind the region’s salmon industry, saying that he wants to ensure aquaculture jobs in Macquarie Harbour can continue.

Mr Albanese flew into Strahan on Saturday afternoon before hopping on a boat to Macquarie Harbour.

When he touched down in the West Coast town, Mr Albanese received a frosty reception from Bob Brown Foundation (BBF) protesters at the airport calling for an end to salmon farming in the harbour.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Strahan Tasmania to anti Salmon farming protesters from the Bob Brown Foundation. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is considering whether to ban salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour after concerns were raised about how the industry’s practices were affecting the population numbers of the endangered Maugean skate.

“We need to go through legal processes, of course, [and they] need to take their course – and those processes are underway,” Mr Albanese said.

“But we will do whatever we can to ensure that this industry continues to not just exist, but with the work that we’re doing providing support for oxygenation here in Macquarie Harbour, the work that we’re doing as well with trials of salmon farming offshore as well, the work that we’ve done providing funding for the Maugean skate to reproduce.”

Mr Albanese said he would “do what’s necessary” to support jobs in Macquarie Harbour.

“And we want to make sure that these jobs are able to continue.

“We’ll do what’s necessary to support jobs here in Tasmania, as we have across the board in so many industries as well.”

West Coast mayor Shane Pitt, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Senator Anne Urquhart at the Tassal salmon farm in Strahan Tasmania. Picture: Simon McGuire

West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt had previously invited the Prime Minister to visit Macquarie Harbour.

“We’re just hoping that the Prime Minister sees what Macquarie Harbour is all about, how big it is, and the part that the salmon industry does play on the West Coast, especially Strahan,” Mr Pitt said.

“We want to make sure that the salmon industry stays in Strahan as it is; we don’t want to see a decrease either.

“In recent times, we’ve seen what the oxygenation plan has done on the harbour and the health of the harbour has increased.

“The salmon industry and the skate can exist.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Strahan Tasmania to anti Salmon farming protesters from the Bob Brown Foundation. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

But BBF Antarctic and Marine Campaigner Alistair Allan wants salmon farming gone from Macquarie Harbour.

“The fact that the decision hasn’t been made yet is appalling,” Mr Allan said.

“We have an animal that’s on the edge of extinction, found nowhere else in the world, been on the planet for millions of years, and still there’s no action from the government.”

Mr Allan said the government was “trying to kick the can down the road.”

“They’re trying to do everything they can to basically keep – not just the situation, but specifically the skate – hanging on the precipice of extinction if they can just squeeze by past an election.

“But that’s just an unacceptable gamble, in my opinion; what a horrific risk for a government to take.”

Originally published as West Coast salmon visit gives industry hope but not everyone’s happy