Today in Hobart, activists from the Bob Brown Foundation have hung a banner over the Sandy Bay Coles to highlight the supermarket giant’s complicity in causing the extinction of the Maugean Skate.

Despite meeting with Bob Brown Foundation, Coles has so far refused to stop selling toxic farmed salmon from Macquarie Harbour, where industrial fish farms have a catastrophic impact on the Maugean Skate’s survival.

The action comes on the morning of Coles Annual General Meeting, where shareholders have an opportunity to vote on a resolution demanding that Coles stop selling Macquarie Harbour farmed salmon.

“Coles is completely aware that industrial salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour are causing an extinction, yet they refuse to stop selling the product,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.

“Coles has a responsibility to their customers to stop misleading them. Every piece of salmon that Coles sells has ‘responsibly sourced’ on the packaging. There is nothing responsible about causing an extinction.”

“Selling farmed salmon from Macquarie Harbour is like Coles selling rhino horn or ivory. Coles needs to stop profiting from extinction now. It is outrageous that Prime Minister Albanese will give $28 million of taxpayers’ money to cover up the devastating impact of huge multinational companies in Macquarie Harbour who pay zero dollars in taxes,” said Alistair Allan.

“The federal government promised the Australian public no new extinctions, not government handouts to mega-corporations. This money should be used to transition this industry out of Macquarie harbour, thereby saving both the Maugean Skate and helping workers,” concluded Alistair Allan.