Think you are eating clean and green when you buy Tasmanian farmed salmon, or order it in a restaurant?
You are actually supporting foreign-owned companies whose business model involves multiple large-scale fish deaths.
Data released by Tasmania's Environmental Protection Agency today shows reveals over 9,000 tonnes of salmon mortalities in first three months of 2026, amounting to around 12% of annual production, Peter George, Independent MP for Franklin, reported in a media statement.
"Mortalities in salmon pens in Tasmania have reached astonishing levels, revealing mass deaths and disease are now just “business as usual” for the multinational industry," George said.
"The attrition rate has reached at least one in every four fish at even the most generous estimate and has probably been far higher. This is a level of animal mortality that no real farmer would tolerate.
"This is a deeply disturbing outcome and clear evidence the industry is unsustainable as Tasmanian waters warm rapidly and disease becomes endemic."
George reported figures for 2025 suggest an even worse outcome, with at least 4 million (21,133 tonnes) died in the 12 months, peaking at around 1.2 million (6,300 tonnes) alone in February of that year.
"By dumping thousands of kilos of the now-banned antibiotic, florfenicol, in diseased pens, the industry may have reduced the number of mortalities in the first months of this year – but those numbers remain totally unacceptable," George said.
"The industry has been spared even worse outcomes because waters have been cooler than expected so far this year.
"However, meteorologists predict super heating of waters next spring and summer which will inevitably result on far more disease and many, many more deaths.
"This is an industry facing crisis levels of mortalities in which untold numbers of fish will continue to suffer and die, regional jobs will grow more insecure, and Tasmania’s reputation as a clean, green haven will continue to slide."
Rosalie Woodruff MP, leader of the Tasmanian Greens, slammed the state Liberal Government for poor oversight of the industry, which is accused of environmental vandalism and is dominated by Brazilian-owned Huon Aquaculture and Canadian-owned Tassal.
"This is a deeply disturbing outcome and clear evidence the industry is unsustainable as Tasmanian waters warm rapidly and disease becomes endemic."
George reported figures for 2025 suggest an even worse outcome, with at least 4 million (21,133 tonnes) died in the 12 months, peaking at around 1.2 million (6,300 tonnes) alone in February of that year.
"By dumping thousands of kilos of the now-banned antibiotic, florfenicol, in diseased pens, the industry may have reduced the number of mortalities in the first months of this year – but those numbers remain totally unacceptable," George said.
"The industry has been spared even worse outcomes because waters have been cooler than expected so far this year.
"However, meteorologists predict super heating of waters next spring and summer which will inevitably result on far more disease and many, many more deaths.
"This is an industry facing crisis levels of mortalities in which untold numbers of fish will continue to suffer and die, regional jobs will grow more insecure, and Tasmania’s reputation as a clean, green haven will continue to slide."
Rosalie Woodruff MP, leader of the Tasmanian Greens, slammed the state Liberal Government for poor oversight of the industry, which is accused of environmental vandalism and is dominated by Brazilian-owned Huon Aquaculture and Canadian-owned Tassal.
"The Liberals and the industry claimed florfenicol would stop fish die-offs, but that hasn't happened - even with a cooler summer," she said.
"These figures are yet another reason why the Government needs to rule out supporting the salmon industry’s push to use this antibiotic again.
"Instead, the Liberals need to introduce basic measures like reducing fish density levels, and to empty those pens where disease takes hold."
Image: Bob Brown Foundation
Image: Bob Brown Foundation
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