Tassie salmon plan “a sham”: community groups boycott government

Environmental groups have pledged to boycott the state government’s Draft Tasmanian Salmon Industry Plan, claiming it has ignored their pleas for more sustainable salmon farming.

Salmon protest outside the State Government Executive building in Hobart CBD on Thursday January 19.

COMMUNITY and environmental groups have pledged to boycott the state government’s Draft Tasmanian Salmon Industry Plan, claiming it has ignored their pleas for more sustainable salmon farming.

About 20 protesters representing activist groups from across Tasmania gathered outside the Premier’s office on Thursday morning, demanding a meeting with Jeremy Rockcliff a day before plan submissions closed.

Neighbours of Fish Farming President Peter George branded the draft proposal “a sham”, slamming the Premier for his refusal to meet with community groups.

Peter George, President Neighbours of Fish Farming, at the anti salmon farming protest outside the State Government Executive building in Hobart CBD on Thursday January 19.

“We have contributed thousands of hours, as groups and as individuals, to all sorts of consultation processes, only to be denied any input whatsoever, totally ignored and treated with contempt,” Mr George said.

“If he can meet with multinational salmon company executives … the least he can do is give Tasmanians the right to be able to sit down and get the same amount of time and express their concerns.”

Tasmanian Conservation Trust chief executive Peter McGlone said several key commitments were missing from the draft plan, including promises to introduce land-based farming and limit the growth of the industry.

“The consultation on the draft plan has failed us entirely. They haven’t listened to our concerns, there’s none of our content from the earlier rounds … it’s missing in the plan,” Mr McGlone said.

“All our supporters are not making submissions.”

Gerard Castles from Bruny Island of Killora Community Assn at the anti-salmon farming protest outside the State Government Executive building in Hobart CBD on Thursday January 19.

Bruny Island’s Killora Community Association spokesman Gerard Castles said the plan has “been wrong from the start”.

“The plan that’s been proposed actually keeps salmon farming in the water, in shallow leases like The Channel, and it’s wrong.”

Fish Farm campaigner at the Bob Brown Foundation Alistair Allan described the proposal as an “empty document” which ignored community concerns.

“It’s very clear that communities all around Tasmania have had enough of these industrial salmon companies ruining our beautiful rivers, bays, and oceans,” he said.

“We demand that Premier Rockliff meets with environmental and community groups to hear the concerns of his constituents.”

David Hornett from Dover at the anti-salmon farming protest outside the State Government Executive building in Hobart CBD on Thursday January 19.

Greens environment spokeswoman Dr Rosalie Woodruff said Tasmania’s waterways had reached “a perilous point” and called on the government prioritise transitioning from open net salmon farming “in fragile, inshore estuaries and bays”.

“It’s a phony consultation process on a plan that doesn’t propose the change needed to make the industry truly sustainable.”

Premier Jeremy Rockcliff questioned the credibility of activist groups and said the government had drafted an “environmentally sustainable” plan for growing Tasmania’s salmon industry.

“To not be part of the consultation process really damages your credibility, enormously,” the Premier said on Thursday.

Submissions for the draft plan close on Friday.

Originally published as Tassie salmon plan “a sham”: community groups boycott government