Tasmanian salmon industry takes federal government to court over Chile import decision
A high-profile federal judge has begun hearing arguments from the Tasmanian salmon industry as it seeks reasons for a 2024 Commonwealth decision that allowed imported Chilean salmon.
A high-profile federal judge has begun hearing arguments from the Tasmanian salmon industry as it seeks reasons for a 2024 Commonwealth decision that allowed imported Chilean salmon into the Australian retail market.
Salmon Tasmania – together with its three member companies, Petuna, Tassal, and Huon – has launched legal action against the federal Director of Biosecurity, over its move to add Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service as an approved regulator of raw salmon products to Australia for human consumption.
In the Federal Court in Hobart on Wednesday, Justice Michael Lee – who presided over former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s highly publicised defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson – heard government lawyers argue that the Director’s decision had no direct impact on Tasmanian growers or its peak body, and had not affected the interests of any of the applicants.
Salmon Tasmania chief executive, John Whittington, told the Mercury his organisation had initiated Federal Court action to obtain “reasons and further information” for the federal government’s decision to allow imports of salmon.
“The Tasmanian Salmon industry has long been on the record opposing the import of Chilean salmon due to biosecurity risks,” Dr Whittington said.
Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Gavin Pearce, told the Mercury that the current state-based prohibition on the imported salmon would be kept in place.
“The Tasmanian government maintains a total ban on the importation of raw, uncooked salmonid products for personal consumption or commercial sale,” Mr Pearce said.
“There are no plans for this position to change.”
Justice Lee adjourned the hearing until 9.30am on Thursday.
Originally published as Tasmanian salmon industry takes federal government to court over Chile import decision
