Mass die-offs

In February 2025 smelly oily lumps of rotting salmon flesh began polluting Verona Sands and Bruny Island, reluctantly identified after industry denials and double speak, and government delays, as coming from mass die-offs from Riksettia bacteria. Subsequent investigations revealed issues around waste disposal, animal handling and the question of whether diseased fish are sent for processing to market.

This has galvanised local communities around the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and Storm Bay, resulting in numerous substantial protest rallies, nation-wide media coverage, and lead the RSPCA to withdraw certification from Huon Aquaculture.

NOFF is asking for an inquiry into industry denials and government delays. Sign our petition NOW!

The petition, to the Parliament of Tasmania, calls for a parliamentary enquiry into the causes, response
and effects of the mass salmon mortality event that has occurred throughout February and
March of 2025 in southeast Tasmania.

Specifically, the petition asks that the inquiry

1. Examine the cause of the mortality event, including the source of the RLO in Okehampton Bay, and its subsequent transmission to different biosecurity areas.
2. Understand how the companies involved contributed to the event through their actions.
3. Examine the response of government agencies and departments.
4. Make recommendations that will improve responses from government agencies and departments.
5. Examine animal welfare, biosecurity, license conditions, controlled waste disposal, public communication response, etc.
6. Examine how the EPA pollution incident response was handled, inter-department and industry communications, which ultimately led to beachgoers not being informed
   appropriately enough to be able to make informed choices.
7. Examine why large amounts of antibiotic continued to be administered for a further 10 days to an infected pen after mass mortality was evident, and the antibiotic subsequently was not taken up and polluted the surrounding waterway.
8. Examine why the State ministers for the Environment, Health and fisheries were silent on the issue despite public calls for information.

If you are a Tasmanian resident or citizen, you can sign the petition by following this link. Please do it NOW!

Watch this space as more evidence emerges.