Tired old forestry

IT was sad to see Forests Minister Guy Barnett use National Tree Day and National Schools Tree Day to roll out the tired, decades-old lines that seek to justify clearfelling and burning native forests in Tasmania, including species habitat, water catchments and rich carbon stores (Letters, August 4). At a time Mr Barnett is seeking to log old-growth and rainforest reserves, where it will cost taxpayers and six out of every 10 trees cut down will be wasted, spinning lines about worldleading forest practices ring very hollow.

Mr Barnett has proven himself unable to grasp the challenges facing Tasmania’s timber industry and puts a political agenda and an impending election ahead of genuine policy designed to fix problems.

Vica Bayley The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Maria Island. It is inconceivable that the fish farm will not have a significant negative impact on this endangered species.

The conditions Josh Frydenberg and the Turnbull Government have placed on the fish farm concerning sonar detection and noise levels are woefully inadequate. The fact is this fish farm will be in the middle of a southern right whale thoroughfare and ought not be anywhere near it.

Tassal does not have clean hands, given its track record of breaching the environmental conditions in Macquarie Harbour which were designed to protect the similarly endangered maugean skate.

Alison Westwood

Orford