Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Last summer’s marine catastrophe saw diseased and decayed salmon and fat globules being washed up on southern beaches, animal cruelty and trucks and trucks of dead fish being dumped. It led to you rightly putting the industry on notice. The government’s review yesterday of that mass salmon mortality shows that a lack of accurate and timely information from the industry ‘delayed critical decision-making’, but the report didn’t even give the industry a slap on the wrist for the destruction they caused. It just asked salmon to consider writing their own code of practice for managing mortality events. There were no changes in stocking levels, biosecurity practices or anything else, just more self‑regulation and a blank cheque to dump untested antibiotics in Tasmania’s waterways.
Do you accept the industry’s self‑regulation to date is the largest cause for the mass mortality event and will you compel the industry to change any practices to prevent another disaster before it’s too late this summer?
The SPEAKER – The honourable member’s time has expired.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the question. Given I’m copping it from both sides, we must be getting the balance right here. Clearly, that’s what we’re about. We’re about listening to the community, responding to community concerns. There was a mass mortality event and we spoke about that in March this year, which seems a long time ago given what’s happened since. I said quite openly that the industry is on notice, clearly, and I there are learnings from the review that was done and released a couple of days ago.
There are learnings from every major event. This was a mass mortality event. Every time we have a bushfire, floods, major events largely created through our environment, we investigate and review to ensure what the learnings are from that. There are always recommendations around major events, whether they be flood, fire, whatever the case may be, storm damage as well, and TasNetworks did a very good job in difficult circumstances last year or the year before. There are always learnings. This will be just the same as that, and I welcome a number of actions and of course we strongly support the advancement and implementation of those actions, but I’ve often mentioned continuous improvement in this place when it comes to the salmon industry, but not just the salmon industry, the forest industry, the mining industry, agriculture.
All those industries are unrecognisable to where they were even 10 years ago, because people learn how to do things better, whether it’s in terms of production, sustainability and caring for the environment, and the salmon industry is no different to that.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – The Premier said just then that these major events are largely created by the environment. True, but they can be mitigated by operational practices, and the learnings from that report do not contain any actions that require any changes to industry practices before this summer
Will you look at that report’s failure to provide actions if you’re serious about putting the industry on notice, and consider the changes that have to be made to regulations for the salmon industry before this summer?
The SPEAKER – Honourable Premier.
Mr ROCKLIFF – In addition to the measures detailed in the report, industry has advised the government that it has been very proactively implementing measures to reduce the risk of another mortality event. Efforts include advancing selective breeding programs, refining feeding practices and pioneering risk‑mitigation technologies. such as the innovative jellyfish bubble‑curtain system.
Notably, the government has also been advised that every fish released into the waters of the state’s south‑east has been vaccinated with Tegovac Plus‑EC. There are learnings from the department as well since the – don’t look so pained, this is actually good.
Dr Woodruff – I was wondering about stocking levels – everything but stocking levels which will make a difference.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Other measures progressed by NRE include increasing veterinary and biosecurity compliance capability with three additional staff, I’m advised; implementation of the salmonid biosecurity quality certification program; planning and implementation of a 2025‑26 biosecurity compliance audit program and marine aquaculture compliance strategy; increasing multi‑regulated land- and water‑based compliance assessment activities –
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time has expired.
