Today, the Bob Brown Foundation halted Tassal’s factory vessel the AQUA SPA from pumping salmon back into the 16 empty pens at Long Bay, near World Heritage Port Arthur.
The Salmon factory vessel AQUA SPA was halted for 5hrs and is currently still stopped.
The peaceful protest was ended when the Tasmanian water police arrived, and community members were ordered out of the water with a caution. There were no arrests.
“This local community has been trying to get Tassal to do better for years and they have been ignored and pushed aside. It was a brilliant show of community resistance today backed in by both the recommendations of the Tasmanian Legislative Councils Fin Fish Inquiry and the most recent IMAS report that showed the devastating impact these salmon farms have on our bays, rivers and oceans,” said Alistair Allan, Bob Brown Foundation fish farm campaigner.
“These are public waters where we met the AQUA SPA. It’s not a workplace. It’s a beautiful bay that should be enjoyed for all and not privatised for the profit of a corporation,” said Mr Allan.
“Long Bay is a scenic spectacle as anyone approaches Port Arthur. It is long, shallow and has no flushing current. Loading this beautiful cove with tonnes of Tassal salmon faeces is an environmental debacle,” said Bob Brown.
“The ongoing maiming and killing of fur seals, which people from around the world delight to see around the Tasman Peninsula, adds to the smashing of brand Tasmania which is an obvious outcome. Premier Rockliff should put a stop to this obvious disaster in the making.
I congratulate all those peaceful defenders of Tasmania’s natural splendour and lifestyle who stood up to Big Salmon this morning,” concluded Bob Brown.