Stop Tassal’s sea cage expansion after latest Cone Bay mass fish kill

Horrific images of a mass fish kill event at Tassal’s Cone Bay barramundi sea cages on the Kimberley coast have been emerging over the last few weeks. Tassal has been operating barramundi sea cages in the remote and pristine Cone Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago in the Kimberley since 2023 (taking over from a previous owner).

Thousands of diseased, dead and rotting barramundi have been removed from the sea cages in Cone Bay and quietly transported to Derby, loaded onto trucks, and dumped at the Broome rubbish tip for disposal.

Tassal’s controversial salmon farms in Tasmania, and its Canadian parent company Cooke Inc. have a track record of environmental, animal welfare concerns, and worker safety issues. Yet they are now proposing to expand their operations here in the Kimberley. Their application currently sitting with the WA EPA would add an additional 84 new sea cages spread across the Buccaneer Archipelago, within the Mayala Marine Park.

As this latest mass fish kill unfolds, we are urgently calling on the Western Australian Environment Minister, Matthew Swinbourn, to:

  • Launch an independent and open investigation into the latest mass fish kill event at Cone Bay, including its impacts on wild barramundi, other fish species and the marine environment;
  • Suspend all commercial operations at Tassal’s Cone Bay barramundi sea cages pending the outcomes of a full investigation;
  • Reject Tassal’s proposal to expand its industrial sea cage operations into the National Heritage listed Buccaneer Archipelago/Mayala marine park.

Sign our petition to send a strong message to Minister Swinbourn and help stop this unsustainable caged barramundi operation in the Kimberley.

Photo: Tassal barramundi being dumped at the Broome tip. 

Photo: Cone Bay Tassal barramundi on the Kimberley coast. 

Photo: Edeline Islands located close to Tassal's proposed new barramundi farm. 

Stop Tassal’s sea cage expansion after latest Cone Bay mass fish kill

Call on WA Environment Minister to launch an independent investigation, halt all commercial operations, and stop the expansion of Tassal’s Cone Bay caged barramundi farm.

    Dear Minister Swinbourn,

    It was devastating to see the images and video footage of the latest mass fish kill at Tassal’s barramundi sea cages on the remote and pristine Kimberley coast.

    Thousands of diseased and dead barramundi have been quietly shipped from Tassal’s sea cages at Cone Bay to Derby, trucked to Broome and buried in the local rubbish dump. Simply horrific.

    We are concerned the WA government’s industry regulator, DPIRD, has not informed the community about the mass fish kill event.

    Tassal’s controversial salmon farms in Tasmania, and its Canadian parent company Cooke Inc., have a track record of environmental, animal welfare and worker safety incidents and breaches.[1],[2]

    This latest mass fish kill shows that industrial sea cage fish farming on the remote and pristine Kimberley coast is simply unsustainable and unacceptable.

    I am aware that Tassal is currently proposing to massively expand its barramundi sea cage operations on the Kimberley coast. It wants to establish 84 new sea cages in seven lease areas spread across the remote and beautiful Buccaneer Archipelago – inside the Mayala ‘A’ Class Marine Park! This proposal is currently undergoing EPA assessment and you, as Environment Minister, will make the final decision.

    I call on you as Minister for the Environment to:

    • Launch an independent and open investigation into the latest mass fish kill event at Cone Bay, including its impacts on wild barramundi, other fish species and the marine environment;
    • Suspend all commercial operations at Tassal’s Cone Bay barramundi sea cages pending the outcomes of a full investigation;
    • Reject Tassal’s proposal to expand its industrial sea cage operations into the Buccaneer Archipelago/Mayala marine park.

    I will be following this issue closely and await your public response to these points.

    Photo: Tassal's fish cages in Cone Bay during the latest fish kill event.

    Photo: Cone Bay Tassal barramundi being dumped at the Broome tip after a weeks-long fish kill event at Cone Bay in the Kimberley. 

    [1]  https://tasmanianinquirer.com.au/news/tasmanias-largest-salmon-producer-fined-78000-for-four-environmental-licence-breaches-epa-document-reveals/

    [2]  Since 2000, according to Violation Tracker, Cooke Inc. and its subsidiaries have been fined almost US$13,000,000 (~AUD$20,000,000) for environmental and workplace health and safety breaches, false claims and financial violations under US law.

    Yours Sincerely,
    [Your name will be automatically added]

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