Today, the Tasmanian Government’s expected announcement of a new plan to allow the expansion of industrial salmon farms shows the industry and the government are completely out of control.
Despite moratoriums against expansion and repeated promises to Tasmanian communities, today’s announcement has been heralded as ‘worse than before’ by independent scientists and experts.
“The reckless and negligent destruction of Tasmania’s rivers, bays and oceans is an unthinkable crime. How the Tasmanian government can receive such a wealth of science, legislative council reports and community input calling for a reduction in salmon farms, and then completely ignore it, is considered an intentional ecocide,” said Alistair Allan, Bob Brown Foundation Fish Farm Campaigner.
“An expected increase in the amount of visible damage allowed on the seafloor around a fish farm flies in the face of everything the government has been informed about and is the exact opposite of what should be happening.”
“It is now obvious that both Liberal and Labor are happy to completely ignore Tasmanians at the behest of industry. A recent poll found that 70% of Tasmanians have issues with this industry and want better regulations of industrial fish farms. Apparently, this means nothing when international juggernauts like JBS and Cooke are told by the Premier they can have it all. The Premier is failing the Tasmanian public.”
“At a time where it is increasingly recognised how valuable the oceans are to planetary health, and with the UN continually calling for more ocean areas to be protected, the Premier and the Tasmanian Government are failing Australia and the planet.”