Australian senator protests salmon farming policy with fish stunt in parliament

“On the eve of the election, have you sold out your environmental credentials for a rotten, stinking extinction salmon?” Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young asks, hanging a dead fish in parliament to oppose the government’s salmon farming policy.

An Australian lawmaker staged an unusual protest in parliament by hanging a large dead salmon to criticize the Labor government’s policy on maintaining salmon production on Tasmania’s west coast.

During parliamentary question time on Wednesday, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young dramatically displayed the fish while condemning the policy. “On the eve of the election, have you sold out your environmental credentials for a rotten, stinking extinction salmon?” she asked, later reiterating her concerns on Facebook.

With Australia’s federal election set for mid-May, debates over the proposed legislation have intensified. The bill, which has already passed the lower house, could limit public and environmental groups' ability to review certain environmental decisions if approved by the Senate.

Calling it a "rotten bill," Hanson-Young accused the Labor government of weakening environmental protections in favor of corporate interests. “The Greens will do everything we can to not let this rotten bill pass,” she stated in an earlier Facebook post.

Environmental advocates, including the Environmental Defenders Office, warn that pollution from salmon farming—such as nitrogen and other nutrients—threatens marine ecosystems. In particular, the rare Maugean skate, a species found only in Tasmania, is at risk of extinction due to the industry’s impact.

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