Conservationists call for ban on explosives to scare seals at salmon farm in federal waters off Tasmania

Conservationists call for ban on explosives to scare seals at salmon farm in federal waters off Tasmania

By Bob Burton

Source: theguardian

3/21/2022

Credit: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

Environment groups have called on the federal government to rule out the use of explosives and guns loaded with “bean bag” rounds to scare seals at a proposed salmon farming trial in commonwealth waters off the north-west coast of Tasmania.

Under Tasmanian laws, the companies are allowed to use underwater explosives, known as “seal crackers”, to deter predators at farms in state waters. Other authorised measures include shooting seals with fabric coated plastic shells containing lead shot, known as bean bag rounds and darts with blunt tips known as “scare caps”. Official documents show some seals have been killed.

Conservationists expressed alarm that the federal government may allow similar measures during a three-year trial in commonwealth waters to be overseen by the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), a government-funded not-for-profit company that lists the salmon companies Tassal, Petuna and Huon Aquaculture as partners.
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Seals in commonwealth waters are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. It is an offence to kill, injure or move them without a permit.

“The minister for environment must ban all cruel seal deterrents,” said Bec Howarth, a fish farm and marine campaigner with the Bob Brown Foundation. The foundation opposes the trial, describing it as a “sea grab”.

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