Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Tassal’s Baretta facility recently, welcomed by Salmon Tasmania CEO Luke Martin and Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Small Business Julie Collins.
Mr Martin thanked the Prime Minister for his attendance and for his support to the salmon industry.
“There are about 5000 people whose jobs and livelihoods are wrapped up in Tasmanian salmon,” Mr Martin explained.
“Nine out of 10 of them are in regional Tasmanian communities, particularly here in the south, in the south of the Huon Valley in communities.”
Minister Collins said “We have been strong supporters of the sector and the industry”.
“We know it needs to be sustainable, and we know it needs to be done in a way that’s acceptable to the Tasmanian community, which is what the salmon industry has been doing.”
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said “This was an incredibly insensitive and vacuous media stunt from our PM, especially in the same week it was announced half the Maugean skates in a captive breeding program aimed to save the species from extinction have died”.
“There’s only so long politicians can choose to prioritise the profits of big businesses over the survival of an entire species.”
Prime Minister Albanese said his visit to the Baretta facility had been planned last year and was not due to the Maugean skates’ deaths.
“We stand on the side of jobs, but we also stand on the side of sustainability,” Prime Minister Albanese said.
“We think the two things aren’t contradictory— they go together.
“And we need to look after the beautiful, pristine environment that is here in Tasmania, it’s a great asset.
“But we also need to make sure that jobs are created, that the economy continues to function.”
