Liberals, salmon lobby call for defunding of Environmental Defenders Office

A Liberal senator and Salmon Tasmania are calling for the federal government to cut funding to an environmental advocacy legal centre that lobbies for better regulation of salmon farming activities in Macquarie Harbour, the home of an endangered species of skate. They have accused the Environmental Defenders Office of using taxpayer dollars to engage in 'green lawfare', which they say is threatening the livelihood of workers in the state's salmon industry.

The Environmental Defenders Office says it relies on regular donations and Commonwealth funding to sustain its service.

Senator Jonathon Duniam and Salmon Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin have called on the federal government to cut its funding to the EDO, which provides legal support and advice in environmental cases. At a joint press conference, Mr Martin questioned if the allocation of taxpayers dollars was best used towards funding the EDO.

The pair are also calling for greater transparency around donation disclosures. "[We're not] suggesting these organisations shouldn't receive donations, but [they] need to be clear and transparent about who their donors are and what their motivations are," Mr Martin said.

• Read the full report: ABC News 7 July 2024

This is a continuation of a predictable strategy revealed recently when a Senate committee enquiring on greenwashing spent tightly-scheduled time to question NOFF Campaigner Jess Coughlan about the sources of NOFF funding, rather than focusing on our greenwashing submission.