Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Honourable Speaker, I rise this evening to reflect on the opacity of the last fortnight in parliament, and the Greens tried every day to extract information on the mass salmon deaths in southern Tasmania. The Greens and Mr Garland have suffered through ministers shuffling papers, buck passing questions and giving confusing non-answers. Any information we did get from Liberal ministers was as murky as the Huon and Channel waters are at the moment.
Coastal communities have been suffering for a month with stinky fat balls and oil littering our beaches. All the government did was hand wring and tell Tasmanians that the salmon industry was on notice. So we asked what being ‘on notice’ looks like, and we got no answer. We asked about stocking density, but no minister knew who was responsible for that. We asked about claims of illegal dumping on dead salmon and, you guessed it, the minister did not have the information. We moved for a parliamentary inquiry to have full clarity on this massive, environmentally damaging event. but that was roundly rejected by the Liberal and Labor parties. When we asked the Premier how much of the $30 million the Liberals got in the last five years from undeclared donations came from big salmon, he refused to answer.
They are just as stinky as a decomposing salmon that is littering the Huon and Bruny beaches at the moment. After relentless questions and nagging of ministerial officers, Mr Garland and the Greens today got a briefing from the EPA, the Chief Veterinary Officer, Public Health and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. I thank them for that. What we heard made it clear why the Liberal ministers have been shuffling their papers and why the usually chatty salmon industry PR machines have gone into hiding.
Given our job in this place is to represent our communities, we wanted to share some of what we learned today. We heard it is likely more mortality events are occurring than we have seen publicised. We know that the Chief Veterinary Officer advised that the entire south-east region, including the east coast, are infected with the same bacteria that are in large part responsible for the die-off in the Huon and Channel.
We heard concern that north-south travelling equipment has not been cleaned properly and may be the source of bacterial transportation.
We heard dead fish waste material is overwhelming ensilage and rendering facilities at the moment, and that the 5500 tonnes of dead salmon so far comes nowhere near the quantity that has been removed from the waters.
We heard that fish in Zuidpool South Lease had antibiotics applied on 13 February but salmon chunks started appearing on 16 February, and yet antibiotics were continually applied by Huon Aquaculture for another 10 days.
The writing was on the wall that this event was unstoppable by the time it reached Verona Sands, yet the company broadcast broad spectrum antibiotic for those 10 days unnecessarily, we believe.
We heard the council-run dumping facilities have not yet been checked for compliance but that the EPA is undergoing an investigation.
We heard the Chief Health Officer believes there is no negative health effects of rancid fat washing up on public beaches, despite the high possibility of ingestion by children, pets or wildlife.
We heard wild fish are most definitely contaminated by antibiotics.
The failure of Liberal ministers to be in control of and transparent about this marine disaster is beyond belief, as is the so-called opposition running cover for both big salmon and the Liberals. Their failures and inaction is astounding. They are both as cosy as each other with big salmon and both utterly disconnected from their communities.
Why wouldn’t the major parties want the truth of what is happening, the scale of the damage that is out there? Because, obviously, the reality of this overstocked, diseased industry reeks. Locals who maybe have been wondering whether they understand what is going on in the fin fish industry have been really brought home to the reality of how it is badly managed in Tasmania in the last couple of weeks.
What coastal communities in my electorate has seen for the last month has been revolting. The last fortnight compelled me to bring some of these stinking salmon fat and oil clumps into this House. These are just some of the chunks.
The SPEAKER – The member is aware that she is not allowed to bring props into the House. The member is aware she is not allowed to do it. She has been here long enough to know that. Please put them down.
Dr WOODRUFF – It is very important that the Liberal and Labor members –
The SPEAKER – Please put them down.
Dr WOODRUFF – especially for Franklin, come and look at these chunks of disgusting, reeking salmon because that is what their constituents are looking at this weekend on the beach and probably for at least another month to come. They have been in hiding. They should front their communities. The Liberal and Labor Party should take responsibility for fixing up big salmon in Tasmania.
Time expired.
