According to statistics released by Australia’s Department of Natural resources and Environment (NRE), 1,149 tonnes of salmon died at the fish farm between September 2023 and March 2024.
In the wake of this event, Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) – a community-led non-profit organisation – has claimed that the mortality was likely caused by overstocking and disease, and has called for an explanation from the salmon farming industry.
“These figures represent over 10 percent of the reported stocking density of Macquarie Harbour over just seven months and devastate the salmon industry’s claims of high standards of animal welfare,” says Peter George, President of NOFF, in a press release.
“As these mortalities have occurred in Macquarie Harbour, a public waterway, we need an explanation from the industry about what is happening there,” he added.
The non-profit has made claims that increased mortality events within Tasmania’s salmon farming industry are being covered up by aquaculture companies, with assistance from the Australian Government.
“Yet again the government has covered-up for the industry by failing to disclose the mortalities for months, and then only after a Right to Information inquiry. It’s typical of the lack of transparency from industry and from the government itself,” George said.
“These latest figures support reports NOFF has received from industry sources of high mortality rates all around Tasmania and reflect global concerns about the extraordinary and increasing number of deaths in salmon feedlots as far apart as Norway, Scotland and Chile,” he concluded.
