Campaign to stop top supermarkets selling farmed salmon
Two of Australia’s top supermarket chains are being targeted by conservationists keen to stop the selling of farmed Atlantic salmon.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is urging Coles and Woolworths to stop selling Tasmanian Atlantic salmon, claiming the practice is threatening the survival of the native Maugean skate.
Shark and ray scientist and campaign manager Dr Leonardo Guida has delivered a petition with more than 7,000 signatures to Coles’ and Woolworths’ CEOs, urging them to stop the selling of Atlantic salmon farmed in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania.
“The reason we’re asking Coles and Woolies to stop sourcing Macquarie Harbour salmon is because it sends out a very loud signal that extinction is bad for business and it disincentivises those farming practices,” Guida said.
The supermarket giants are major buyers of the farmed salmon, which Guida claims is the leading cause of the decline of the Maugean skate, a ray that is only found in Tasmania.
The skate, which has been around since the era of the dinosaurs, lives only in Macquarie Harbour’s 300 square kilometre area, on the remote south-west coast of Tasmania.
Listed as endangered under both Tasmania’s Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Guida said the skate may soon become the world’s first marine fish extinction in modern times due to human activity.
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Dr Guida addressed both companies’ annual general meetings, calling on their boards to stop investing in Tasmanian salmon farming.
At the Woolworths’ AGM, 34 per cent of shareholders voted for future disclosure regarding the impacts of Woolworths branded farmed seafood under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Meanwhile, Coles has removed the “responsibly sourced” label from its own-brand salmon, which includes Macquarie Harbour products.
Guida said that intensive salmon farming depletes oxygen and water quality in the already naturally low-oxygen Macquarie Harbour, creating ‘dead zones’ throughout the harbour’s deeper waters.
“Excess feed and fish waste from salmon farming gets chewed up by microbes and bacteria in the water, and they chew up what little oxygen is left for the skate, and as such, the skate, in part, literally suffocates to death,” Guida said.
There are a predicted 1,500 skates left in Macquarie Harbour after a mass-extinction event in 2019 wiped almost half of the existing population.
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“The harbour was literally flipped upside down when a massive storm forced seawater into the harbour through its very narrow and shallow entrance,” Guida said.
“That seawater essentially sank to the bottom because it’s more dense, and lifted all that oxygen-depleted water right up through to the surface, and this eventually contributed to wiping out half of the skates at the time.”
Guida warned that another extreme weather event like the one in 2019 could send the Maugean skate to an inevitable trajectory towards extinction.
“I’m pretty confident in saying that no Australian wants to see another Tasmanian tiger situation, and I think anyone can understand that farming an introduced species that is literally driving the extinction of a native endangered animal is not sustainable and should not be happening in our waters,” he said.
“The quickest and most effective way to improve outcomes for the state is to eliminate salmon farming entirely from Macquarie Harbour.”
The AMCS suggests New Zealand-farmed King Salmon, Australian land-based farmed barramundi or native Australian salmon in place of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon.
A Coles spokesperson said the company takes responsible sourcing seriously and recognises the ongoing concern about the potential impact on the Maugean skate.
“We know this is an important and complex issue, and one that we have been closely monitoring since 2019, along with certification bodies, industry, researchers, NGOs and government, to understand the latest science, regulation and community expectations.
“Coles has reduced sourcing of salmon from Macquarie Harbour and remains committed to ongoing transparency and adaptation of sourcing policies as new scientific data and regulatory standards emerge.”
A Woolworths’ spokesperson said sourcing salmon from Tasmania remains important in meeting their customers’ needs.
“As part of our ongoing due diligence, we closely monitor the latest government and scientific research regarding the Maugean skate, alongside the Tasmanian Government’s current review of the salmon industry,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to actively engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry bodies, our suppliers, government, environmental groups, NGOs, scientists and investors, to inform our ongoing approach.”
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