Community consultation just a fanciful idea as the government moves on with plans

Locals’ voices ignored and Tassie’s waterways put at risk in salmon negotiations, writes Peter George

Ashameful period of political sleight-of-hand will come to an end in late January. Beyond that, the tragedy of Tasmania’s waterways will start to unfold. On January 20, a period of sham “community consultation” on the future of the Atlantic salmon industry in Tasmania will end.

There was already precious little faith in the process – Tasmanian governments are notorious for ignoring the voices of communities.

Yet Tasmanians put hundreds of hours and huge amounts of energy, intellect, experience, observation and sheer graft into constructing often gut-felt submissions for a process that proved to be the lie we always suspected.

More than 80 per cent of the 277 submissions are critical of industry practices, its environmental and community track record and its plans for expansion.

Tasmanians responded in good faith. They had a right to believe the government would, too.

But what little hope there was evaporated when it was reported the government of Premier Jeremy Rockliff had been questioned over secret promises to green-light the expansion plans of salmon barons who paid thousands of dollars for supper with him at a Liberal Party fundraiser last month. The concern is that there have been secret promises – to hand over more public waterways – made while the “consultation process” is still underway.

That was the good faith the Premier shredded when he purportedly capitulated to the salmon barons.

So with fanfare in May, the government will launch its “10-year salmon plan”, gifting more of this island’s unique marine heritage to international industrial salmon Goliaths.

Multinationals JBS (who own Huon Aquaculture) and Cooke (who own Tassal) have already shown their disdain for the rules, regulations, laws and environments of other nations where they operate. There will be even less to restrain them on this island.

Tasmania and its regulators are minnows ill-equipped to resist their demands, their bullying and their litigious practices.

In the US state of Washington, regulators spent five years and millions of dollars defending a decision to eject Cooke from the state’s waters because of its lies and serious regulatory offences.

JBS has proven to be one of the most corrupt multinationals on the planet, accused by US senators of

undermining US national interests. Its owners – the Brazilian Batista brothers – did jail time for bribing 1800 legislators. They described corruption as “the rule of the game”.

A premier with any political spine would have put Tasmanians first, not foreign businesses with no stake in the state’s future.

At his fundraiser, he could have told them “no expansion” without undertakings to move out of inappropriate, vulnerable bays and shorelines close to communities, and a staged transition into land-based operations – as the 2022 Fin Fish Report recommends.

We are united by our concern for waterways that we cherish, that have supported First Nations’ people for eons, in which we swim, boat, fish and find sustenance for body and soul.

We stand by the submissions we have already laboured over, which appear to have been ignored.

We direct Jeremy Rockliff to them. We challenge him to personally read, consider, and then meet face-to-face with us, instead of treating Tasmanians with contempt while foreign salmon barons receive fawning attention.

There could be a better future for the Atlantic salmon industry if the government had the health of our waterways at heart. It requires investment by the industry, incentives and direction from government.

The Dennes Point Declaration points the way. It starts with a moratorium on all expansion of the industry until, informed by proper science and truly independent regulation, it starts the transition out of water and on to land.

The path to a sustainable future is outlined in the 2022 Fin Fish Inquiry report.

In recent times we have: ATTENDED the International Seminar at Wrest Point. ATTENDED all workshops run by Blue Economy ECRC.

MADE an extensive submission to the Legislative Council Fin Fish Enquiry, and appeared before the Enquiry Committee.

MADE an extensive submission to the Federal Senate’s Aquaculture Enquiry.

MADE an extensive submission in response to the Discussion Paper on the 10-Year Plan.

APPEARED before the Legislative Council.

MET with Minister Jo Palmer.

MET with Minister Roger Jaensch.

For too long we have engaged with the government in good faith, only to be treated by Premier Rockliff and his ministry with contempt. No more.

We will no longer engage in a boxticking process of “community consultation” that is fundamentally dishonest, a political lie seeking the cover of respectability.

Peter George is president of Neighbours of Fish Farming and this piece is contributed on behalf of: Tasmanian Conservation Trust; Neighbours of Fish Farming; Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection; Killora Community Association; Bob Brown Foundation; Surfrider Foundation, Tasmania; and the Marine Protection Tasmania.