Australian activist group Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF) has initiated a Consumer Information Campaign in metropolitan mainland Australia, starting with central Melbourne.
The campaign features a prominent billboard at Flinders Street station, the busiest train station in the state of Victoria, displaying the message “Eating Salmon? Killing Tasmania.” This 9m x 14m billboard is intended to reach tens of thousands of commuters, shoppers, and drivers in the heart of Melbourne, according to a release from the organization.
Similar messages are being displayed on a 13m x 4m billboard on the Westgate Freeway in South Melbourne and on a 9m x 3m billboard on Dandenong Road at Malvern. The campaign aims to extend to other metropolitan areas as it progresses.
The illuminated billboards are placed in premium CBD and inner urban locations to raise awareness of the alleged environmental impact of salmon farming on Tasmania.
NOFF president Peter George stated that the campaign responds to the salmon farming industry’s refusal to address the environmental damage caused to Tasmania’s rivers and waterways. He highlighted the industry’s alleged impact on the Maugean skate, a species unique to Tasmania.
George criticized the industry’s narrative, likening it to tactics used by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries, and emphasized the need for Australians to understand the environmental consequences of consuming Tasmanian salmon. He called for a transition to land-based salmon production to reduce environmental impact.
The campaign asserts that multinational companies owning Tasmanian salmon farms prioritize profits over environmental stewardship, paying minimal fees for waterway use and avoiding taxes while causing significant ecological damage.
