Anti-salmon farming protesters have rallied on Parliament Lawns in Hobart, condemning a decision by the Environment Protection Authority to renew Tassal’s licence to operate fish pens at Long Bay near Port Arthur.
The rally drew marine environment advocates and community members frustrated by what they say is ongoing pollution in the shallow bay.
Trish Baily, vice president of the Tasmanian Alliance of Marine Protection, said the EPA’s decision was devastating.
“We’ve been fighting these pens at Long Bay for years now and we are bitterly disappointed,” she said.
Baily said an independent assessment found more than 90% of nitrogen pollution in Long Bay could be attributed to the salmon pens, given the area has no major rivers or waterways and very little occupation of the surrounding land.
She pointed to widespread algal growth, destruction of kelp beds and deteriorating seagrass habitat.
“The bay is basically dying,” she said.
Baily said the EPA had not conducted baseline studies when the pens were reintroduced to Long Bay in 2017.
“That’s a disgrace,” she said.
She said Christine Coughanowr, a water scientist and co-chair of the Tasmanian Independent Science Council, had written several papers on issues relating to Long Bay.
“The community is crying out that they’re seeing the changes, that they don’t want those pens there,” Baily said.
She also criticised the government and Tourism Tasmania for turning a blind eye to the pens sitting alongside the Port Arthur World Heritage Historic Site.
The EPA renewed the licence on August 3 after an assessment lasting close to a year, during which public objections were received and considered.
In its statement of reasons, the EPA said scientific evidence showed water quality across the broader Port Arthur receiving environment had not been diminished.
The regulator said monitoring had identified localised nutrient enrichment indicators close to the lease but found no evidence of worsening reef condition over time, with several key indicators including filamentous and turfing algae showing declining trends since 2022.
Not everyone on Parliament Lawns was sympathetic with the rally’s cause, with a worker in a Tassal uniform spotted cheerfully eating what appeared to be salmon sushi as he walked past the protest.
A Tassal spokesperson was dismissive of the gathering.
“Around 50 Tasmanians work in our operations on the Tasman Peninsula. From what we’ve seen, around the same number of people turned up at the anti-jobs, anti-science gathering at parliament this afternoon,” the spokesperson said.
“We know who delivered more for Tassie and our communities today.”
Alistair Allan from the Bob Brown Foundation said the Rockliff government bore responsibility.
“The EPA has laid out a clear laundry list of all the problems, not only with Tassal but with the damage to Long Bay, yet the environmental licences are still approved,” he said.
“It’s a sign of just how broken our system is here in Tasmania and how much the salmon corporations control the Rockliff government.”
Allan said there had been longstanding calls for a truly independent EPA.
“There is no such thing as an independent Environmental Protection Agency decision,” he said.
“They are influenced by the government and the salmon corporations.”
“What we need in Tasmania is transparency and oversight that is truly independent when it comes to this polluting industry,” he said.
Former premier Paul Lennon weighed into the debate, arguing critics could not demand an independent regulator and then reject its findings.
“The Bob Brown Foundation can’t demand an independent umpire and then accept only the calls that go their way. That isn’t environmental protection – it’s a campaign tactic,” he said.
“Curated facts are misinformation. Tasmanians end up misinformed by omission.”
