More than two weeks after chunks of salmon fat and carcasses started washing up on beaches, Tasmania’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now confirmed that the health advice is not to touch or come into contact with the diseased salmon chunks and to avoid recreational activities in areas where the chunks and carcasses are present.

The news comes alongside the EPA confirming they have no idea how many salmon have died, despite the toxic salmon industry experiencing a crisis of mass mortalities in their factory farms.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on Premier Rockliff to come clean to Tasmanians and explain why it took so long to inform communities and the public to not let their children and families play on beaches that have been polluted by the industrial salmon farms.

Bob Brown Foundation is also calling for a food and safety investigation into Tasmanian salmon because there is a risk that fish infected with the bacteria causing the mass deaths are being sold for human consumption.

“This is a complete betrayal of public health by the Tasmanian Government, covering up the damage caused by their corporate mates in the industrial salmon companies,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine Campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.

“It is now a matter of urgency for the salmon companies to confirm they are not selling fish that are sick or diseased to the Australian public.”

“Premier Rockliff must release all information he has about this unfolding disaster immediately, because the public can no longer trust that their health and safety is the government’s primary concern.”

“Prime Minister Albanese should also come and visit the communities in Tasmania that have had their waterways polluted and rendered unusable by an industry he is so willing to support blindly.”

“Tasmanians have seen how much PM Albanese likes to visit Tasmania. There can be no excuses from federal Labor. They must front up to communities affected by this unfolding disaster, instead of just visiting salmon farms for a photo opportunity every time the PM is in Tasmania.”

“This industry is a complete social and environmental disaster, from the huge damage they cause to our waterways, driving an animal to extinction, and causing pollution that means communities can’t even safely visit their local beach. It’s time to get fish farms out of Tasmania’s waters for good,” said Alistair Allan.