RSPCA Australia has withdrawn its certification from salmon farming giant Huon Aquaculture following the release of a video that showed workers putting live fish into bins with dead fish.
WARNING: This story contains video content depicting animal cruelty which may cause distress.
The drone footage, captured by the Bob Brown Foundation, shows live salmon being placed in crates with dead fish and then sealed.
The footage was filmed earlier this month at a salmon lease at Zuidpool Rock, near the mouth of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, south of Hobart.
At the time, Huon and another salmon company, Tassal, were dealing with an unprecedented mass mortality event caused by a bacterial outbreak that resulted in more than 5,500 tonnes of fish being sent to waste facilities.
Following the release of the footage, the RSPCA announced a 14-day suspension of its certification while further enquiries were undertaken.
In response, Huon said the actions captured in the vision did “not reflect Huon’s stringent standards or our established protocols”.
The company described the incident as a one-off, and said the workers seen in the footage were contractors.
‘Welfare of fish must be front of mind’
RSPCA Australia chief executive Richard Mussell has confirmed the organisation’s certification of Huon has now been fully withdrawn.
“While we acknowledge this was a single incident following many years of certification, the decision to withdraw a certification reflects how seriously we take incidents like this that compromise animal welfare,” Mr Mussell said.
“Fish, including those farmed for human consumption, are sentient beings and, like other animals, can experience pain and suffering.
“When they’re farmed for food, the welfare of fish must be front of mind.”
Dead salmon were seen floating in enclosed fish pens in the Huon Channel Roaring Beach, near Southport in southern Tasmania in February. (Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation)
Images and videos of dead fish in a pen were shared by the Bob Brown Foundation. (Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation)
Huon said it acknowledged the seriousness of the incident, but added it was disappointed to lose accreditation under the circumstances.
“We are incredibly disappointed that a single incident that occurred during an unprecedented, challenging period has brought an end to our association with the RSPCA,” Huon general manager of stakeholder and government relations, Hannah Gray, said.
“Despite our disappointment, we are committed to upholding our high standards of animal welfare and will continue to operate at levels that meet the RSCPA standards.
“Our staff who work and live in Tasmania take immense pride in their work and are understandably disappointed by the RSPCA’s decision.”
Opponents to industrial fish farming in Tasmanian waters attended a protest rally in Hobart on Thursday. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
The Bob Brown Foundation welcomed the decision.
“For far too long, the industrial fish farm companies have used certifications to mislead consumers about Tasmanian factory-farmed salmon,” Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Alistair Allan, who is also a Greens candidate for Lyons, said.
“The RSPCA should have never taken money from these factory farms in the first place, which was a clear compromise of their standards.
“We thank the RSPCA for returning to upholding their values and morals in this instance.”
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor also welcomed the move, saying “global salmon companies have neglected the health” of the farmed fish for years.
“This decision is a great vindication for all those across the community who have campaigned on this issue,” she said.
Huon was the only one of three major salmon companies in Tasmania that had RSPCA certification.
