Salmon Tasmania lobbyist Lyall Howard on the future of the salmon industry in Tasmanian waters

The Mercury reported on an Inquiry into Australia's food security where newly appointed Salmon Tasmania Lobbyist Lyle Howard was asked about the future of the Salmon industry operating in Tasmanian Waters.

Comments by Mr Howard include:

• Mr Howard said he disagreed the industry was under threat from the push to avoid eating salmon.
• "What I see is a small number of noisy opponents of industry who are able to get a lot of airtime," Mr Howard said.
• "Costs of production in Australia are higher than our international competitors by around 30 per cent," he said.

Neighbours of Fish Farming media response below:

"The entirely foreign-owned Atlantic salmon industry is so out of touch with Tasmanians that it has been forced to employ a mainland lobbyist and nephew of former Prime Minister, John Howard, to shore-up its collapsing social licence," says Peter George, president of Neighbours of Fish Farming (The Mercury, Salmon Industry Climate Concern, April 13, 2023)

"The industry and its lobbyist, Lyle Howard are deluding themselves if they believe opposition to its polluting practices are the concern only of a small number of opponents.

"The fact is that the industry's reputation and social licence has collapsed with community-wide opposition now stretching from Flinders Island, to the northwest of the state and to the southeast where marine life and and coastlines are already being destroyed by polluting open-net salmon cages.

"As a mainlander, Mr Howard is likely unaware of the depths of opposition to the industry, as are the wilfully ignorant foreign-owned companies, Tassal, Huon and Petuna.

"In fact local groups opposing the industry are forming around the state at a greater rate than ever as plans for industry expansion around the island, regulated by newly impoverished environmental standards, are due to be announced next month.

"In Wynyard alone (population 6,250) two weeks ago a new group, run by women who have never taken part in activism before, attracted between 800 and 1,000 people on a Sunday afternoon to make clear their opposition to industry.

"Mr Howard and his lobby group Salmon Tasmania have made no effort to address community concerns or talk directly with community groups.

"He cannot fake it with spin that bears no relationship to reality.

"With his political background, Mr Howard would be wiser to advise his Tasmanian political friends about the growing electoral danger for any politician backing this ever more unpopular industry going into the next state election and about the dangers posed by a foreign-owned industry that operates behind a wall of secrecy and thinks it can get away with poisoning our waters and undermining our democracy at secret Liberal Party donor dinners.