Biosecurity Tasmania launches investigation into alleged animal welfare breaches at Huon Aquaculture lease

After ‘difficult to watch’ footage was released, the minister in charge of primary industries has announced an official investigation into alleged breaches at a Tasmanian salmon farm.

Live fish were placed into a waste bin alongside dead fish at a Huon Aquaculture site. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

Biosecurity Tasmania has launched an animal welfare investigation after drone footage was released showing live salmon being siphoned and sealed in a bin along with dead fish at a Huon Aquaculture site.

The footage was captured at a salmon farming lease near the entrance to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel by the Bob Brown Foundation and has prompted the RSPCA to launch its own investigation into the matter and suspend its certification of Huon products.

It comes as the salmon industry responds to a significant mortality event that saw more than 5500 tonnes of dead fish dumped in waste facilities in February alone. The phenomenon has been attributed to a disease outbreak caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis.

Live fish were placed into a waste bin alongside dead fish at a Huon Aquaculture site. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

Primary Industries Minister Jane Howlett confirmed on Tuesday that Biosecurity Tasmania had commenced a probe of the Huon incident “in accordance with the existing process for handling animal welfare complaints”.

“It’s important to let that investigation take its course and we’ll be guided by the report’s findings. I understand that the company is also conducting its own investigation into this matter,” she said.

Primary Industries Minister Jane Howlett. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Howlett committed to publicly releasing the findings of the Biosecurity Tasmania investigation when it had been finalised.

Huon Aquaculture general manager of stakeholder and government relations Hannah Gray has described the footage as “extremely difficult to watch” and said the company “strongly” believed it was “not reflective of the high standards of animal welfare that we have in place across our operations”.

She said Huon had “immediately” notified the RSPCA of the incident and was “participating” fully in the organisation’s investigation, while conducting an investigation of its own.

Greens animal justice spokeswoman Cassy O’Connor said it was “good to hear” that an official government investigation of the incident at the Huon site was also being undertaken.

“We hope this matter will be made a top priority, with action taken as quickly as possible,” she said.

Cassy O'Connor, Greens member for Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“Whether by an individual or a corporation, where there’s clear evidence of animal cruelty, government needs to uphold the law.”

The RSPCA has suspended its certification of Huon products for 14 days while it probes the alleged animal welfare breaches.

“The inhumane handling of live, sick or injured fish as shown in the video being circulated is completely unacceptable,” an RSPCA spokesperson said on Saturday.

“We will continue to follow our established processes in relation to this matter and will have more to say in due course.”