EPA still cannot confirm responsibility for fat balls, salmon companies hide behind PR front

As the EPA continues its investigation into which company is responsible for the pollution bringing a tide of decaying salmon fat onto Tasmania's much loved beaches in the South East, Tassal and Huon Aquaculture and their foreign owners are hiding behind PR front Salmon Tasmania.

On ABC RN 27 Feb 2025 in an interview with Fran Kelly, Salmon Tasmania's Luke Martin described the massive salmon deaths in our public waterways as "not totally unusual". However Martin cited out of date reporting requirements - as of the recent license renewals, the industry is now required to report all mortality by weight to the Government.

Neighbours of Fish Farming campaigner Jess Coughlan says "We need to address the elephant in the room. Diseased dead and decaying fish are piling up in pens that contain fish destined for human consumption. Regulations and the regulator have allowed it to happen. The industrial salmon farming corporations consider this business as usual, and it's disgusting."

"A regulator that relies on industry self-reporting is destined to fail in its duty to protect the environment. Industry has long known that carcasses build up and fall apart in the pens, but no action at all has been taken to remedy the situation before an environmental spill has taken place."

"The cover up of this incident is shocking. From the failure to close the beaches pending an investigation, to the failure to publicly disclose whether harvesting will continue with a contagious disease outbreak now floating out in the open on our waterways, to the plain clothed clean up crews on Verona Sands and Bruny Island's Conleys beach. We still have not heard from the Tasmanian Government on this issue. Instead we are seeing politicians pose as influencers on social media promoting farmed salmon, a product that sends profits overseas while polluting our waterways."

• All comments attributed to Jess Coughlan, noff7112@gmail.com, 0431684741
• Jess will be available for media comment on Parliament Lawns Friday 28th Feb 1pm