‘Paddle-out’ protest against salmon farming in Storm Bay attracted about 700 people, organisers say

Hundreds of people flocked to Cremorne Beach on Sunday to protest the planned expansion of salmon farming in Storm Bay, with organisers celebrating what they felt was a strong turnout.

Protesters take to the water at Cremorne in a paddle-out opposing salmon farm expansion in Storm Bay. Picture: Supplied

Anti-salmon activists say about 700 people took to the water in a mass “paddle-out” at Cremorne Beach on Sunday to protest aquaculture company Petuna’s planned expansion into Storm Bay.

Organised by South Arm community group, Friends of the Bays, the event was in response to a proposal to install up to 50 large open-net pens off Yellow Bluff.

Neighbours of Fish Farming president Peter George said there were more than 100 watercraft that participated in the paddle-out and he estimated that a total of between 700-800 people flocked to the waterside.

Protesters take to the water at Cremorne in a paddle-out opposing salmon farm expansion in Storm Bay. Picture: Supplied

“I think the message to any federal or state member of parliament is that the community won’t stand for any more fish farms,” he said.

Conservationists say the Storm Bay plan would encroach on Frederick Henry Bay, which is the only remaining habitat of the critically endangered red handfish.

Renowned author Richard Flanagan addressed the crowd at Cremorne Beach, telling those gathered there that if fish farms were allowed into Storm Bay, the red handfish would be impacted in the same way the Maugean skate had been in Macquarie Harbour.

Lyons Greens MP Tabatha Badger said the waterways of Southern Tasmania needed to be kept “pristine” for future generations.

“We’ve seen what the salmon industry has done elsewhere around the state, and this community is not going to stand for it here,” she said.

Protesters at Cremorne took to the water to oppose salmon farm expansion by Petuna in Storm Bay. Picture: Ian Sale

State government minister Roger Jaensch said any new areas of fish farming were “subject to rigorous marine farming planning processes and … independent environmental assessments”.

“What we do know is that the Greens will take a protest in favour of a process any day of the week, and we think it’s irresponsible for them to be scaring people about something which cannot happen without a very careful, diligent community consultation and independent assessment,” he said.

Debate over the future of salmon farming in Tasmania has intensified in recent days following a report that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had raised the possibility of exempting the industry from federal environmental laws so that aquaculture can continue in Macquarie Harbour.

It comes as federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek considers a review of whether salmon companies have the necessary approvals to operate in the harbour, for which a decision is not expected until after the federal election.

Protesters at Cremorne took to the water to oppose salmon farm expansion by Petuna in Storm Bay. Picture: Ian Sale

Speaking at Sorell on Sunday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton signalled that he intended to make the future of salmon farming a key election issue, claiming the Albanese government wanted to “cut jobs and close down the salmon industry”.

“We were speaking this morning with local workers who don’t have any other alternative industry if Labor closes down the salmon industry, so we have a lot of hard work ahead of us to clean up a Labor mess,” he said.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Julie Collins said advice and information would be provided to Ms Plibersek “in due course” and she would then make a decision regarding Macquarie Harbour and the Maugean skate.

“This is not a government decision. It’s a decision under the [Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation] Act by the Environment Minister, and will happen regardless of who is in government and who is the Environment Minister,” she said.

Asked whether she thought salmon farming would be a major factor in the looming election campaign, Ms Collins said there were “a range of issues” that would be important, particularly cost of living.