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.
Salmon at a farm in Tasmania
‘Battery-hen farming of the sea’: sustainable alternatives to eating salmon
Read more

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”.

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
3951	Marine experts: Gulf of Maine has become a cod-forsaken place, endangering all fisheries	bangordailynews	2013-07-31	US
3952	San Diego angler still fishing at 90, catches giant yellowtail	petethomasoutdoors	2013-07-25	US
3953	Fish-farm firm awarded $75,000 in defamation ruling	theglobeandmail	2013-07-22	CA
3954	Cut Off From the Ocean by a Volcanic Eruption, These Fish Had to Learn to Live in a Lake	hakaimagazine	2021-05-03	US
3955	At least 3.8 million fish killed by winter weather on Texas coast	brownwood news	2021-05-04	US
3956	Seaspiracy Producer Demands Biden Shut Down Fish Factory Farms	vegnews	2021-05-06	US
3957	Does ocean acidification alter fish behavior? Fraud allegations create a sea of doubt	sciencemag	2021-05-06	AU
3958	Combined effort to protect rarest native fish	odt	2013-07-08	NZ
3959	Record rockfish was 64 years old, not 200, tests show	spokesman	2013-07-06	US
3960	Trouts under threat as deadly pesticide devastates top fishing river	express	2013-07-05	UK
3961	In Northern Minnesota, 37-inch pike found dead with 3-pound sucker stuck in jaws	twincities	2013-07-04	CA
3962	Ancient rockfish caught in Alaska: Why nobody threw it back	latimes	2013-07-03	US
3963	Growing cold	Antarctic Sun	2013-07-05	US
3964	Fish in Louisiana lake left covered in sores and blisters after parasite attack	Daily Mail	2013-06-26	US
3965	Bubble-eyed goldfish has to swim on his own in case he bumps into others and BURSTS his eyes	dailymail	2013-06-26	UK
3966	Hydromea unveils the world’s first wireless compact underwater drone		2021-05-17	CH
3967	This underwater hut acts as a nursery to help the renewal of marine species in the Mediterranean	malaymail	2021-04-26	MC
3968	A singing fish: it glows green during courtship and looks like Boris Johnson’s hardship face	theguardian	2021-04-27	LK
3969	Stinging scorpion fish among 10 ‘uncommon species’ recently found in Florida waters	miamiherald	2021-04-28	US
3970	The scale of fish waste sent to landfill could feed a community	stuff	2021-04-30	NZ
3971	Asian carp spawn in more areas than 1st thought	CBC News	2013-06-24	CA
3972	Eklutna, Snettisham hydro projects still haven't redressed fish and wildlife damages	adn	2017-12-02	US
3973	How Igor The Amazonian Pacu Fish Found A Place Called Home	wlrn	2013-06-20	US
3974	Man gets jail for cheating in fishing tournament	bemidjipioneer	2013-06-18	US
3975	Former cheerleader, 19, becomes the first woman to win competition where hopefuls catch catfish with their BARE HANDS	dailymail	2013-06-25	UK

158 of [218 - pages.]