A group of protesters dressed in red have rallied at Nubeena on the Tasman Peninsula against recently passed laws designed to protect Tasmania’s salmon industry.
The demonstration comes just days after legislation safeguarding the sector passed through federal parliament, with protesters calling on voters to reject major parties supporting the industry in the upcoming election.
Independent MP Craig Garland joined locals at the rally, again raising his concerns about the environmental impacts of fish farming.
“Our southern waters have been exposed to the environmental disaster of mass salmon mortalities in February-March. This has happened before, but this time it was on a huge scale,” Garland said.
He criticised federal politicians for backing what he called the “disastrous practice” of farming salmon in Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast “for the sake of a few jobs”.
“[They] could easily be maintained if salmon companies did the right thing and transitioned to land … It doesn’t have to be jobs vs the environment,” he said.
Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam said there would always be differing views on the industry, but that it needed to be protected at the federal election on May 3.
“My belief is that the majority of Tasmanians support a strong, sustainable salmon industry where the jobs are secure,” he said, adding that the protesters represent a “minority”.
“If … people elect a Labor-Green government, I can predict for you now, the salmon industry in Tasmania will be one of the first things on the chopping block,” he said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said industry workers had faced challenging conditions following the recent mass mortality event.
“What is important is that we don’t demonise the employees that work in the industry. In fact, they need to be supported,” Rockliff said.
“Supported they will be under a government such as ours that’s fought very hard for their protection of their jobs through federal legislation.”
“We’re very pleased at that outcome, but also very mindful of the fact that that outcome could be very easily undone with a Labor-Green government federally.”
