Australia Institute releases results from fin-fish survey of Tasmanians

The polling was done by uComms on behalf of the Australia Institute and showed 76 per cent of participants had concerns about the health of Tasmania's coastal environment.

The survey showed:

A Legislative Council committee in 2022 recommended the government develop a plan with industry to reduce inshore fin-fish farming sites, with priority given to ceasing operations in sensitive, sheltered and biodiverse areas.

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In response, the government stated it did not support a reduction in existing, sustainably operated inshore fin-fish sites that were subject to best practice environmental management and regulation by the independent Environment Protection Authority.

Australia Institute state director Eloise Carr said the government needed to implement all recommendations from the fin-fish inquiry.

"The message from this research is clear: Tasmanians want the government to listen to the evidence and support recommendation three from the parliamentary inquiry to reduce industrial salmon farming so close to our coast and ocean communities," she said.

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Ms Carr said a recent report from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies confirmed more than 500 common species of fish, seaweed, coral and invertebrate marine life had declined around Australia in the past decade.

"Of particular concern to Tasmanians is that these declines are most marked in the rocky kelp-dominated reefs in cooler southern waters, including around Tasmania," she said.

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