NICK RIEWOLDT JOINS OKEHAMPTON BAY PROTEST

AFL STAR’S PLEA OVER EAST COAST FISH FARM

ONE of Tasmania’s bestknown AFL exports has thrown his weight behind the campaign to prevent Tassal’s aquaculture expansion at Okehampton Bay.

Hobart-born St Kilda veteran Nick Riewoldt has released a video featuring himself and two-year-old son James — sixth and seventh generation “East Coast Tassie boys” — filmed at Okehampton Bay last Friday.

In the video Riewoldt urges Tasmanians to help “stop the madness” and join a flotilla planned for Hobart’s waterfront later this month.

“... like thousands of other people we’ve got a great appreciation of just how magnificent the East Coast of Tassie is,” he says.

“We’re not anti-aquaculture, anti-progress or anti-jobs but given Tassal’s track record in Macquarie Harbour and what they have planned with their industrial fish farms on the East Coast we feel passionately about stopping this.”

Last week Australian fishing personality Steve “Starlo” Starling joined the campaign, saying the development is a “disaster waiting to happen”.

Starling, known for his work on fishing shows including Rex

Hunt’s Fishing Adventures and The Great Outdoors, also released a video call out. Marine Protection Tasmania’s Wilhelmina Rea said Riewoldt — who she has known since childhood — learnt to dive and fish at Okehampton Bay.

Asked if the State Government was satisfied the development had a social license, Primary Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff said “everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the fact is the independent Marine Farm Planning Review Panel confirmed that current environmental science supports salmon farming at Okehampton Bay”.

Mr Rockliff said the Government was committed to Tasmania’s salmon industry.

Tassal declined to comment. It intends to begin farming salmon at Okehampton Bay from August if the project meets regulatory conditions imposed by the EPA.

The company plans to farm 800,000 salmon in 28 pens at the site when at full capacity and has said it does not expect the project to have a significant impact on the environment.

Marine Protection Tasmania has organised a flotilla protest called #FloatMOTasmania on Hobart’s waterfront on June 18.

... given Tassal’s track record in Macquarie Harbour and what they have planned with their industrial fish farms on the East Coast we feel passionately about stopping this