Latest news with #salmonindustry
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Environment Tasmania says Marine Environment Act and review into salmon farming is about 'being accountable'
Rebecca Howarth We really do welcome the announcement from the weekend to inform us that the Premier intends to commit to a new Marine Environment Act is a fantastic move and brings us in line with other states that have a more holistic and ecosystem-based approach to managing their marine environment like New South Wales and Victoria. Prior to now, it has been a very siloed and piecemeal way that we manage our marine environment. We've seen industry priorities over ecosystem health and that just has to change. We are really pleased with this announcement and we also welcome the announcement around the review of the salmon industry. I think this is a great example of coming to the table and compromising with the cost bench, offering to work together. Of course, it's going to take some work to ensure that this actually has some teeth and like you've already mentioned, a timeline to it, but we certainly are welcoming it at this stage. Kylie Baxter And in actual practical terms, what do you think these promises are going to look like for the salmon industry? Rebecca Howarth It's going to look like being accountable, which is what should have happened all along. The community have been calling for more accountability, more scrutiny, more independence in the oversight of the salmon industry. Our coastal waters are extremely important to the Tasmanian public. It's ingrained in our psyche, it's part of our lifestyle and upholds our economy as well. And so to see the decline that we've seen over the last couple of decades has certainly been so alarming. And so we really do feel that the Premier is listening to the community and offering to make some concessions at this stage. The industry really are going to have to come to the table and if they truly are world's best practice, which is what the industry has been claiming for a very long time now, then they should have nothing to fear. They should be ready to open up and welcoming this review.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Tasmanian salmon farming expansions on pause as Liberals order review
The Tasmanian government will halt marine expansion of the salmon industry in local waterways while an independent review is ordered to examine the industry's long-term sustainability and environmental impact. Earlier this year, bacterial disease piscirickettsia salmonis swept through salmon pens in southern Tasmanian waters, causing the deaths of thousands of farmed fish. The state government has confirmed the industry continues to grapple with the disease, and last week sought fast-track approval of a new antibiotic to bring it under control. On Sunday, the minority Liberal party announced it would launch an independent review into the troubled industry. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the review would support the salmon industry "to operate transparently and responsibly" and "meet its social licence". "I said clearly, after the mass mortality event of last summer, the industry is on notice," Mr Rockliff said in a statement. "I do not resile from that. We must always seek to strike a balance between sustainable primary industries and our unique natural environments in which they operate. "Our government would want to see, from this study, practical reforms and smarter regulations that protect our environment, but also investment certainty for industry." The government said it would pause industry marine expansion during the review period, and would retract finfish farming permits from leases that are "not subject to an existing marine farming license". The announcement came as the government prepared for a fresh no-confidence vote against it when parliament returns on Tuesday. The recent state election resulted in a hung parliament, meaning crossbenchers could decide the fate of which party forms government. Since the election, the major parties have made significant pledges as they try to garner the support of crossbenchers ahead of the vote that will decide who governs the state. The announcement has been met with ire from peak body Salmon Tasmania, who accused the premier of "shamefully" walking back on a promise to back the industry in a bid to secure Greens' and independents' support. In a letter from Mr Rockliff to salmon chief executive Dr John Whittington ahead of the election — seen by the ABC — Mr Rockliff wrote his party would "not trade the salmon industry in any way, shape or form in order to form or retain government". Following Sunday's announcement, Dr Whittington said that assurance had "proven worthless". "[He] has let down the salmon aquaculture industry; strangling growth, guaranteeing a whole host of new red tape, and significantly undermining confidence and investment." Dr Whittington said workers had voted for the Liberals, only to be "completely betrayed" weeks later. "[They] deserve the support of their leaders, and not to be treated as a political plaything that is traded away for power," he said. Dr Whittington said the industry was already highly regulated, informed by science from institutions such as the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studie (IMAS) and the CSIRO, along with government input. The review will be conducted by a specialist "off-island" organisation with the terms of reference to be decided by parliament. But the government wants it to look at existing and proposed monitoring and regulation, environmental standards, compliance, penalties and legislation, as well as antibiotic use, the industry's impact on public waterways and the environment, and different methods of fish farming. In an effort to bolster regulatory oversight, the Liberals have also promised to introduce a Marine Environment Act, and to further resource the EPA (Environment Protection Authority), enabling it to provide "full public reporting on matters of public interest". Primary industries and water minister Gavin Pearce said the government had not erred in its support of workers. "We know salmon workers are committed to the highest environmental and animal welfare standards, and want to see continuous improvement in their industry for the benefit of our marine ecology," Mr Pearce said. All three salmon companies operating out of Tasmanian waters — Brazilian multinational JBS; New Zealand's Petuna; and Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke, owner of Tassal — are owned by foreign multinationals.
