Seal and 15 cormorants die at Tassal lease despite wildlife safety assurances.
Tasmania-based salmon farmer Tassal has confirmed the deaths of an Australian fur seal and 15 cormorants at its West of Wedge lease near White Beach, raising new questions about the effectiveness of wildlife mitigation measures in the industry.
The seal became trapped inside a pen on 6 June. After two attempted removals involving sedation, it was found dead at the bottom of the enclosure on 13 June. A necropsy did not determine a clear cause of death, though lung damage was observed. Tassal had earlier stated that “sanctuary pens” at the site had proven “100 per cent effective” at preventing seal predation.
The incident was followed by the deaths of 15 cormorants at the same site, with 10 birds recovered from the bottom of the pen and five entangled in netting. Right to Information (RTI) documents revealed that an escape ramp for birds had been covered at the time. Tassal had committed to installing bird nets at all pens but did not respond to questions about whether netting was in place at the time of the incident.
Since January 2021, a total of 42 seal deaths have been reported within Tasmanian salmon farm lease boundaries, according to figures from NRE Tasmania.
A Tassal spokesperson said the company is continuing to invest in infrastructure and equipment to reduce wildlife interactions, but did not confirm whether changes had been made at the site since the incident.
The Tasmanian government has committed to a broad review of the salmon farming sector, including environmental regulation and animal welfare, as part of post-election negotiations with crossbench MPs. Independent MP Peter George and Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff have both called for the review to be science-based and include full transparency regarding wildlife impacts.
