Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared his strong support for the Tasmanian salmon industry during a visit to a Tassal plant in the state’s south.
Albanese made the unexpected trip to the Baretta facility, located south of Hobart, on Wednesday afternoon, where he promised to protect jobs in the industry.
“We support jobs, but we support it being done in a sustainable way and we’re confident that that can happen,” he said.
Salmon Tasmania Chief Executive Luke Martin thanked the Prime Minister for his support on behalf of the 5,000 Tasmanians whose “jobs and livelihoods are wrapped up” in the industry.
The trip south comes just days after two Maugean skate taken from Macquarie Harbour as part of an insurance population program died in captivity.
A small group of protesters chanting “Save the Maugean skate” gathered near the gate of the plant during the prime minister’s visit but were frustrated when they were denied access to the conference.
“Neither Anthony Albanese, nor the Tasmanian government, nor the industry listens to what the Tasmanian public want and that’s why we are locked out,” one protestor said.
The Prime Minster, however, said he was confident a win-win solution could be reached to safeguard the jobs of salmon industry workers and to protect the skate.
The Greens, through Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, were quick to slam the Prime Minister’s appearance as an “incredibly insensitive and vacuous media stunt” and described it as an insight into Labor’s “true colours”.
“There’s only so long politicians can choose to prioritise the profits of big businesses over the survival of an entire species,” Whish-Wilson said.
