Environmental activists have criticised authorities for privately advising them to keep away from ‘fish-oil chunks’ washing up on a beach in Tasmania’s south, despite no public health warnings being issued.
Community group Neighbours of Fish Farming claims the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has instructed them to avoid Verona Sands Beach, two weeks after the suspicious material was first found.
Group spokesperson Jess Coughlan said the EPA relayed Department of Health advice “not to handle the material, to wash your hands if you do and not to undertake recreational activities where the material is obviously present”.
“The warning signs of a horrific summer for the salmon industry have been there since late last year, yet the EPA has taken no action to mitigate against disaster,” Coghlan said.
She said there was no public health advisories or warning signage at the beach and accused the EPA of making only “vague and innocuous” public statements about the situation.
The EPA has not commented on the incident since late last month, when they indicated further comments “will be limited”.
The controversy reached state parliament on Tuesday when Independent MP Craig Garland pressed Premier Jeremy Rockliff about salmon deaths in nearby pens.
“We are witnessing mortalities on a scale we have not seen before, yet there are no public statements or media releases from the ministers or departments,” he said.
“Why is the public being kept in the dark?”
Premier Rockliff acknowledged the “very concerning” incident, describing it as a “challenging situation” for salmon producers.
“We share community concerns and we are concerned also for the industry and wider impacts,” he said.
“The issue is still unfolding and we are yet to understand the full impact of what has happened.”
Neighbours of Fish Farming plans to hold a community rally at Verona Sands Beach on March 16.
