Green Britain Foundation Exposes Diseased Salmon in Macquarie Harbour

The Green Britain Foundation has released video footage of sick, diseased salmon in Macquarie Harbour – and it raises some serious alarm bells for the critically endangered Maugean skate. Their underwater investigation, carried out by the GBF research team, shows the grim reality under the surface – salmon farms pumping out disease right alongside one of Australia's rarest marine species. The farms are run by Tassal, owned by Canadian giant Cooke, also trashing Scottish coastlines.

"After seeing first-hand the mess salmon farming left in Scotland, we knew we had to bring the same scrutiny to Australia. This isn't a local problem – it's a global racket. A handful of multinational companies farming salmon across just a few countries, causing the same kind of ecological damage wherever they show up. Different location, same story."

"While salmon farming presents itself as a sustainable industry, our evidence from Tasmania adds to a growing body of documentation showing similar environmental concerns wherever these operations exist. The Green Britain Foundation will continue to investigate and document these impacts to drive meaningful change in industry practices globally."

Salmon industry spokesman Luke Martin denied the claims, sayin that "We don't know who this foreign activist organisation is, [and] don't know where this footage has been obtained".

• Find out about the Green Britain Foundation here and here.
• Watch the one minute video here (may cause distress)
• Read a report in Pulse Tasmania 30 April 2025