Greens Senator for Tasmania and spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on the legal developments in the Tasmanian salmon industry.

Greens spokesperson for Whaling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson says that the Australian Government's failure to keep their promise to monitor Japanese whaling activity in the Southern Ocean means a slaughter in the Southern Ocean is immenent this Christmas.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The Liberal Government is showing a perverse lack of will in failing to send a patrol boat and protect Australian waters from whaling.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson today met with the Sea Shepherd crew in Hobart before they leave to search for the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, "In the dying hours of the last day of the Parliamentary year, the Australian Senate passed my motion condemning illegal whaling and the slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean.

"The Senate also called for the Government to uphold their election commitment to send a Customs vessel to the Southern Ocean to monitor illegal whaling activity. 

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson welcomes the news that the factory-freezer vessel Geelong Star has left Australian water.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This situation is bizarre. The fisheries authority has posted a mysterious statement on their website about the Geelong Star no longer being in Australian waters. They haven’t said when it left, where it is has gone and if it is coming back.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has strongly criticised the Federal Environment Minister, Josh Frydenberg for granting a blanket exemption for the NSW government to undertake a shark netting program.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The Environment Minister is misusing a clause in the EPBC Act that exists to allow communities to respond to national emergencies like bushfires, wars and floods without seeking approval if there might be interactions with endangered species.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has used the latest EPA reporting on the state of Macquarie Harbour to write to Federal Environment Minister to ask him to reconsider the 2012 decision that the salmon farming expansion did not require assessment under the EPBC Act.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “In the Senate Inquiry the Greens recommended that if any new information came to light or the impacts identified in the leaked reports are not solved, then the Federal Government needs to step in.

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has referred Tassal to the Senate for a potential breach of parliamentary privilege following allegations on 4 Corners that they attempted to influence a Senate Inquiry witness.