Tasmania’s peak body for salmon claims consumption of the product has reached record levels, with sales jumping seven per cent in major Australian supermarkets.
The news comes despite ongoing environmental debates surrounding the industry.
Data released by Salmon Tasmania shows Australian families purchased significantly more Tasmanian salmon from Woolworths and Coles in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
International demand has grown even more dramatically, with overseas sales increasing by 22% according to Australian Bureau of Statistics export figures.
Salmon Tasmania CEO Luke Martin said the figures demonstrate consumer confidence in the product despite recent criticism.
“Australians love Tassie salmon and are buying it in droves, what they’re not buying is this BS being sold by activists in election time,” Martin said.
“Australians … still fundamentally view this as a healthy, a delicious, and a sustainably sourced form of protein.”
The strong sales come amid controversy following a bacterial outbreak that reportedly killed over one million salmon in southern Tasmanian waters earlier this year.
Martin described the mortality event as “isolated incidents” that have happened once for the “first time in 30 years,” adding that mortality rates have now returned to normal levels.
Minister Eric Abetz backed the industry, claiming environmental campaigns were failing to influence consumers.
“Tasmania’s salmon industry is both sustainable and world-class, producing a healthy source of protein with a low carbon footprint,” Abetz said.
However, high-profile chef Matthew Evans, host of SBS series Gourmet Farmer, has joined other culinary figures in the ‘Off the Table’ campaign, refusing to serve Tasmanian salmon.
“We see first-hand the rubbish and devastation that poorly regulated and unsustainable fish farming has caused,” Evans said. “It’s a dirty industry that refuses to clean up its act.”
Several prominent Tasmanian restaurants including Mures and The Agrarian Kitchen have recently removed farmed salmon from their menus, citing environmental concerns.
