Aquaculture for all

Government Must Uphold Seal Responsibility

TASMANIA - The Tasmanian Green Party has called for the government to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the fish farm seal relocation program.

It says that saying the best way to ensure adequate treatment of seals is for government officers to continue to take a hands on role.

Greens Deputy Leader and Environment spokesperson Nick McKim MHA said that the current system is not broken, and warned that a system operating under a commercial imperative may result in animal welfare standards being compromised.

“The government is basically washing its hands of responsibility for seals’ welfare, which is unfortunate but not surprising given its appalling animal welfare record in Tasmania," he added.

The party says that the government has a responsibility to ensure that seals are treated appropriately during relocation. It says that the best way to do that is for government officers to run the program.

Mr McKim said that if the government will not reconsider its decision to withdraw from the program, it must address animal welfare concerns by releasing the details of any program to monitor future relocation efforts.

Further Reading

- Go to our previous news item on this story by clicking here.
Create an account now to keep reading

It'll only take a second and we'll take you right back to what you were reading. The best part? It's free.

Already have an account? Sign in here