In the Senate today, after questioning by Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, it was revealed that Salmon Tasmania has been awarded the tender to deliver a $28 million taxpayer-funded oxygenation project. This disgraceful decision by the Albanese government allows these factory fish farm companies to profit from the damage that they themselves are responsible for.

Despite the astonishing conflict of interest, Salmon Tasmania was awarded the contract even though there were four tenders for the project.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling for fish farms to be removed from Macquarie Harbour entirely, with the $28 million instead used to rehabilitate the harbour ecosystem.

“This is an unbelievable case of the fox patching up the henhouse. First, the factory fish farms get to pollute and destroy Macquarie Harbour, now they get paid to blow bubbles into the water in an attempt to cover up the damage they have done,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine Campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.

“It is a disgrace and a brazen slap in the face of Australian taxpayers that, not only will the Albanese government allow these huge salmon companies to destroy the natural environment, they will pay them to fix the mess they have made.”

“When BP were responsible for a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the company was forced to pay for the cleanup, not US taxpayers. Macquarie Harbour and polluting fish farms should be no different. Industrial fish farms have destroyed the environment and pushed the Maugean Skate to the edge of extinction, so they should pay for its remediation and leave the harbour for good.”

“But instead, the Albanese government has decided to let them stay. Not only that, they want to pay them to stay. If you made this up, no one would believe you. Prime Minister Albanese and the Labor government have changed national environment laws, faced court cases, toured fish farm facilities wearing company logos and, now, have decided to give them $28 million dollars, and all while these huge salmon companies destroy the environment. It is scandalous,” said Alistair Allan.