Today in Koonya, the community met to express their displeasure at Tassal’s plans to restock their sixteen fish farm pens at Long Bay opposite the World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site and next to Tasman Peninsula National Park.

The community is calling on Tassal not to put salmon back in Long Bay based on the recommendations of the legislative Council's finfish review, which explicitly stated that fish farms should be removed from shallow protected waters.

There was a large turnout from the community expressing that they had witnessed the damage that fish farms have already done to the Tasman Peninsula and Long Bay, particularly with algal blooms, nutrient overloading, noise and light pollution.

“The toxic salmon industry has a terrible reputation in the Tasman Peninsula, with all sorts of environmental damage occurring around these beautiful and protected areas. With World Heritage Port Arthur Historic Site right next to where these pens are and with the National Park and Three Capes walk right in view, it's incredible how fish farms were ever allowed to be here,” said Bob Brown Foundation's fish farm campaigner Alistair Allan.

“It's time for Tassal to remove these pens. It’s exactly what the Tasmanian Legislative Council report has recommended. It’s time the government does better.”

“Seeing the outpouring of support for removing these pens from the community, it’s clear that Tassal has lost its social license to be in Long Bay. As the meeting slogan read, it’s time to give back long bay.”