Tasmania's salmon industry is coming to grips with an unprecedented mass death event, with around six percent of its annual fish production dying last month alone. It comes as new video released by environmental activists shows live salmon being extracted from pens and sealed in tubs with piles of dead fish.
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00:00In the waters off Bruny Island, farmed salmon are being poured into crates, some still alive
00:08when they're sealed in.
00:10This vision has been captured by environmental activists, monitoring a Huon aquaculture lease
00:16in the Dondracasto Channel.
00:18Images of rotting dead salmon, images of live fish being thrown carelessly into bins and
00:24suffocating to death is not what they market to the public.
00:28Huon and other operators in Storm Bay have been battling a disease outbreak of rickettsia-like
00:33organisms at the lease site.
00:35For weeks, chunks of fish and or fish oil have been washing up on south-eastern Tasmanian
00:41beaches.
00:42In Parliament this morning, the Premier repeated a warning to the industry.
00:46I said the salmon companies are on notice and they are.
00:51And I also, in saying that, expect a high degree, highest possible degree of accountability
00:59and transparency.
01:00But some don't have faith the government or its environmental watchdog will hold the industry
01:06accountable.
01:08They're not telling Tasmanians how many fish have been killed.
01:11They're not saying where they're being disposed of.
01:14They're not clear in their information about whether that is a new virus in Tasmania.
01:20This afternoon, the EPA revealed it estimated there are about five and a half thousand tonnes
01:26of dead fish in the area.
01:28That's roughly six per cent of the industry's annual production.
01:32Our information indicates that we're not quite past the peak yet, so we expect that it'll
01:38be ongoing for a little while yet.
01:41Environmentalists say this should be a turning point.
01:44At Christmas time, I was sitting there quite despondent and I thought, what is it going
01:48to take to rein this industry in and get it managed properly?
01:51And I thought a natural disaster is the only thing that will rein this industry in.
01:56Huon Aquaculture's RSPCA certification could also be at risk.
02:01The animal welfare organisation released a statement saying the inhumane treatment of
02:06live, sick or injured fish was completely unacceptable.
02:10It said it would be seeking further information and considering what action is required.
02:15The ABC asked Salmon Tasmania and Huon Aquaculture for interviews.
02:20Both declined.
02:22Huon Aquaculture provided a video statement, saying it was disappointed and has launched
02:28a full investigation.