PROTECTING OUR OCEANS, OUR FUTURE

By ROBYN WEARE

A few years ago, we reluctantly moved from Nubeena, a coastal village on the Tasman Peninsula, to the Port Sorell area. Despite the wonderful memories and the restoration of my grandparents’ home, we could no longer ignore what was happening to Parsons Bay. Once vibrant and full of life, the bay had been starved of oxygen. The crystal waters we used to swim in safely had turned grey and milky. The flathead and perch we once caught were gone. Fish pens have been at the bay’s entrance since the 1980s.

I love where I live now—everyone in Tasmania has their own paradise. I have found mine. I am long retired, healthy, and active. But I will not live long enough to see the full consequences of the greed-driven, overseas-owned fish farm industry—an industry propped up by both the federal and state governments. But today’s young people, and their children, will see it. Future generations will judge us if we don’t act now to stop this exploitation.

A Future Without Free Oceans?

Will our grandchildren ever experience the simple joy of swimming freely in the ocean? What you and I call swimming—in blue, living waters, not in cement pools. Will they play on beaches scattered with kelp, shells, and marine life? Or will they inherit dead oceans and beaches littered with fish farm debris?

And for what? Less than 1% of jobs, while our oceans and coastlines are trashed. Can you believe these companies pay no tax? The state government leases out vast areas of our ocean for just $900,000 annually, while the industry extracts $1.5 billion worth of fish every year. And the profits? They go overseas.

Braddon: A Safe Seat No More?

Braddon has been seen as a “safe” Liberal seat, but that may not always be the case. Change is coming across Australia. The question is: Will Braddon speak up for Braddon?

Both the Liberal and Labor parties support a massive expansion of fish farms—wherever they can squeeze them in. Do they think we don’t know? Don’t care? That we are pushovers? Do they expect us to fall for the same tired promises of “jobs, jobs, jobs”?

We know the truth. Fish farming accounts for just 0.04% of Tasmanian jobs—less than 1%—and most are concentrated near Hobart. In Braddon, only a handful of people work in processing in Strahan and Devonport.  Even if the industry doubles, as they want, the local job market won’t change much. Yet the industry openly admits they want to expand enough to feed the world. 

It’s great that Tasmania can help feed the world, but let’s be real—this government can’t even house, educate, or properly care for its own people. And now they want to feed the affluent people in this world! 

The Next Victims: Braddon’s Coastline

The government has already marked much of Braddon’s coastal waters as “highly suitable” for fish farming. We are next on the list. If they move in, we’ll see a few dangerous, low-paying jobs—freezing conditions, diving work, and fish pen maintenance and fish processing. Some may get factory jobs, but the real profits stay in Hobart and overseas.

Meanwhile, our waters and beaches will suffer. The east, south, and west coasts of Tasmania have already seen the damage—polluted beaches, marine degradation, bright lights and generator noise 24/7, and “well boats” constantly transporting fish, fresh water and feed. These companies get 30-year leases—locking in destruction for generations.

The People of Tasmania Are Waking Up

More and more Tasmanians have stopped eating farmed salmon. Surveys show that many of us understand the harm this industry causes—and don’t want expansion into our paradise.

Tasmania’s natural beauty and resources make us a honey pot for global exploitation. With a population of just 570,000, it’s easy to feel unheard. But we do have a voice.

At the next federal election, Liberal and Labor may get a surprise. Braddon may decide to look after Braddon.

I hope so.