Sea Shepherd and Bob Brown Foundation say krill is being fished for salmon feed

Anti-salmon farming protesters hope aquaculture will be a big issue at the state election this month. Meanwhile the Sea Shepherd has taken aim at krill fishers in Antarctic waters.

Bob Brown Foundation and Sea Shepherd salmon protest at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Protesters on paddleboards and boats formed a flotilla in Hobart’s waterfront, hoping to convince Tasmanians not to vote for parties who support off shore salmon farming in state waters.

The action coincided with the arrival of the Sea Shepherd vessel, Allankay, which docked in Hobart, after an Antarctic voyage.

Sea Shepherd Managing Director Jeff Hansen said the food source of whales was at risk.

“Last year we went down because we had a tip off of a megapod of 1000 fin whales and big super trawlers going through twice the size of Olympic swimming pools … to plough right through the middle of them and take the krill, their food,” Mr Hansen told the crowd of protesters.

Bob Brown Foundation and Sea Shepherd salmon protest at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“It’s absolute insanity, and for what? Why are they going down there to take krill right from the whales mouths? For fish farms around the world.”

Bob Brown Foundation Antarctic and marine campaigner Alistair Allan said some of the krill turned into salmon feed was being used in Tasmania.

“In 2022 and 2023, the Bob Brown foundation along with Sea Shepherd went to Antarctica to look at the krill fishery,” he said.

Bob Brown Foundation and Sea Shepherd salmon protest at Hobart, Bob Brown Foundation Antarctic and Marine Campaigner Alistair Allan. Picture: Chris Kidd

“Afterwards we released a report that documented where that krill was ending up and we shockingly found fish farm factories in Tasmania, so BioMar in the state’s north, that creates fish feed, was using 1200 tonnes of 3bn individual krill a year.”

“It is a huge industry here that is taking krill directly from Antarctica, directly from the mouths of whales and penguins.”

Mr Allen said there was a flow on effect up the food chain.

“Krill is absolutely critical to the Antarctica ecosystem, it’s what’s called a cornerstone species,” he said.

“Everything in Antarctica relies on krill to survive.

“For us to go in huge mega trawlers, hoover up krill at incredible rates to feed to farm salmon is an ecological crime.”

Environmentalist Bob Brown said he believed more Tasmanian voters were critical of the salmon farming industry.

He said he believed voters would swing away from the Liberal and Labor parties on March 23, because they support salmon farming.

“I think this is a vote changer and attitudes are changing,” Mr Brown said.

Bob Brown Foundation and Sea Shepherd salmon protest at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“We’re gong to see people voting away from the big parties in this election. The big parties are nature killers.”

The Mercury asked Salmon Tasmania if it was true krill was being farmed for salmon feed, what was being done to save the Maugean Skate and if the industry was working to make practices more sustainable.

“Today’s combined ship tour and protest event saw a very small turnout of the usual activist groups and was hardly representative of the Tasmanian community,” Salmon Tasmania CEO Luke Martin said.

“The fact is, this is a highly regulated industry grounded in science and innovation. We produce salmon that is delicious, healthy, sustainable and has the lowest carbon footprint of any farmed protein and we are the lifeblood of many regional Tasmanian communities.

“Drawing a link between Tasmanian salmon farming and whale deaths in the southern ocean is as disingenuous and petty as it sounds.”