Thousands and thousands of farmed salmon dead and dying at Tassal lease on Tasman Peninsula

February 14, 2025

Today, Bob Brown Foundation has captured horrific images and video of thousands of dead farmed salmon being pumped out of their factory farm cages at a Tassal owned fish farm lease called Creeses Mistake, on the Tasman Peninsula.

The footage comes on the heels of mass deaths being reported all around the state only weeks ago.

Bob Brown Foundation is calling on Tassal and Salmon Tasmania to disclose how many tens of thousands of fish have been dying.

“These thousands of farmed salmon are dying because the foreign-owned salmon giants could not care less if they die from disease, water temperatures and overstocking. It’s a disgrace,” said Alistair Allan, Marine Campaigner at the Bob Brown Foundation.

“We received credible information of the bottoms of pens having dead salmon covering the whole cage a foot thick, and we have now seen thousands of dead salmon being pumped out,” said Alistair Allan.

“Every summer, hundreds of thousands of factory farmed salmon die in these crammed pens. Every summer the salmon industry covers this up and refuses to tell the public how many salmon die because they know the public would be outraged. These cover ups must end,” said Alistair Allan.

“As much as 15% to 20% of all farmed salmon die as part of this environmentally and morally bankrupt industry. The closest number of animal deaths in Australian farms I could find was battery cage chickens at 4%. The salmon industry is out of control.”

“This is an industry wide issue and unbelievably the RSPCA still thinks it’s appropriate to certify Tasmanian salmon. They should drop this certification immediately given their mandate to prevent cruelty to animals,” concluded Alistair Allan.