Huon Aquaculture : responds to Andrew Forrest claims

Huon Aquaculture's CEO, Peter Bender, in responding to unfounded claims from mining magnate, Andrew Forrest about Huon's environmental and fish welfare practices, said today that his company was the first and only seafood producer in Australia to hold RSPCA certification.

Mr Bender said that Huon has always, over 35 years of operation, been uncompromising in its commitment to the highest standards of animal husbandry, biosecurity, environmental management, and sustainable farming practices.

'Huon agrees with Mr Forrest that business operations must not compromise the environment.

'Like terrestrial farmers, we are stewards of our farms and stock and that is paramount to the decision making behind all our business practices.

'Huon does not believe there is any higher animal husbandry goal to achieve than RSPCA certification, and we call upon Mr Forrest to outline which program he believes is better than RSPCA certification.

'Huon wanted to be benchmarked against the best standards in the world because fish welfare remains essential to every aspect of what we do which is why we lobbied RSPCA Australia to develop the salmon standards in the first place.

'If Mr Forrest had bothered to check with me, he would know that our stocking density of maximum 1% fish to 99% water is the best in the world across the global salmon farming industry.

Mr Bender said that Huon's humane harvest method developed by Huon has been rated world's best-practice, was RSPCA UK awarded and has been adopted internationally by other salmon farmers.

Mr Forrest can rest assured that every Huon fish is grown and harvested under the principles of 'no pain no fear'; indeed it was this company that led the salmon farming world in these harvest principles.

END