A Right to Information request has revealed more evidence of the legalised wildlife cruelty embedded in the Tasmanian salmon industry. A protected Australian fur seal was trapped in a Tassal salmon pen for a week, shot multiple times with tranquiliser guns, and subsequently died. The Tasmanian government needs to immediately end the legal shooting and explosive bombing of native wildlife.
The distress and cruelty inflicted on a sentient creature that was trapped, shot, and left for a week to die inside an industrial aquaculture pen in Tassal’s ‘West of Wedge’ lease beggars belief.
The lease was approved in 2018, with undertakings from Tassal the ‘sanctuary pens’ to be used there were “100% effective” in keeping seals out. This incident shows a company that is refusing to take the steps needed to protect native wildlife from the dangers of industrial farming operations.
In addition to the latest seal death, 15 cormorants were drowned in the same lease around the same time. Tassal’s West of Wedge lease has no bird netting despite the company commiting to install it. Mitigation measures such as ‘escape ramps’ for birds are clearly not effective, when 35 cormorants have died at this lease this year alone.
This industry’s cruel toll on nature continues to mount, with 42 seals having died in Tasmanian salmon farms since January 2021. Salmon companies have also used in excess of 26,000 explosive deterrents against these beautiful, protected animals.
Tassal’s West of Wedge lease has unquestionably exceeded the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s standards for “acceptable” native wildlife mortalities. Consumers have a right to know the truth about the farming operations that grow the salmon they purchase. We expect the ASC would question Tassal’s right to still have a sustainability accreditation for their products, given their record of animal cruelty.
It’s abundantly clear industrial salmon farming in Tasmania is out of control. Over 16,500,000 kilograms of diseased salmon have been disposed of in the last six months, with thousands more fish breaking up in the ocean and covering southern beaches in putrid fatty chunks.
Our wildlife needs immediate protection, and Primary Industries Minister Pearce should end the practice of shooting and bombing birds and mammals with explosives.
