Anti-salmon signs rage

Premier accuses activist group of ’assault’ on Tasmania’s brand

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has slammed anti-salmon billboards on the mainland, urging those who posted them to take them down.

Billboards were put up in regional Victoria criticising Tasmania’s salmon industry and accusing those who eat salmon of “killing Tasmania”.

Tasmanian-based group Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) is behind the billboards and has said there could be more “graphic illustrations and messages” in capital cities and regional areas “over coming weeks and months”.

Mr Gutwein said it was an “assault on workers” and on Tasmania’s brand.

“What I’ve read and what I’ve seen is a reckless and outrageous attack on an industry that is important to Tasmania in terms of its economy and in terms of its brand,” Mr Gutwein said on Friday.

“It will not just damage the salmon industry, it has the capacity to damage Tasmania’s brand overall.

“I don’t think it is fair or reasonable.”

The Premier said he was disappointed to learn the message was being driven by Tasmanians.

He accused the group who posted the billboards of being politically motivated.

“I’m sure it hasn’t escaped everyone’s notice that sometime in the next three to six months there will be a federal election,” Mr Gutwein said.

“This appears to me to be politics 101.

“In the lead-up to federal elections we would normally see a range of environmental matters raised and quite a noisy debate about them, and that’s what I think is happening here.”

Mr Gutwein said the state’s salmon industry was worth nearly $1bn to the economy.

NOFF president Peter George indicated it was unlikely the group would be removing the billboards.

He said it was the salmon industry damaging Tasmania’s brand. “I thank Premier Peter Gutwein for drawing attention to our billboards, which we will happily take down when the Premier starts doing his job of bringing this rogue industry to heel and ends the destruction,” Mr George said.

“If the Premier won’t do his job of protecting the Tasmanian environment and Tasmanian communities, I can assure Tasmanians we will.

“It’s sad to see the Premier peddling the salmon barons’ propaganda.”