Media Release: Missed Opportunity to Replace Weak Fin Fish Environmental Standards with World Best Practice

Missed Opportunity to Replace Weak Fin Fish Environmental Standards with World Best Practice

Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said the government missed an opportunity today to replace weak and inadequate Environmental Standards for Marine Fish Farming with stronger world best practice compliant requirements.

“The tabled Finfish Farming Environmental Standards are far from adequate let alone world’s best practice,” Ms Webb said.

“The failure of both major parties to take the opportunity today to disallow these inadequate Environmental Standards and require strengthened alternatives, has guaranteed it will become increasingly difficult for the salmon industry to ever secure a social licence.

“These Environmental Standards arguably provide a weaker set of environmental rules than was previously in place, with a lack of appropriate transparency or accountability.”

“Sadly, it is evident these flawed Environmental Standards including remain fixated on finfish industry-compliance rather than focus on how the fish-farming industry interacts with and affects other values and uses of our marine environment.

“It is of grave concern that these inadequate Environmental Standards will remain in place, locking in the substandard status quo, for a further 10 years.

“That will be detrimental for our waterways, our marine environment as well as for the reputation of our aquaculture industry. 

“The disallowance motion was a simple message to the Tasmanian Government: do better.

“My motion sought to ensure inadequate standards were disallowed to provide the scope for improved and world best practice environmental standards to be implemented instead, which would have benefited both our marine environment and our aquaculture industry,” Ms Webb said.