Despite strong opposition from community groups and environmental and animal welfare organisations, New Zealand King Salmon’s controversial bid for an open ocean salmon farm in the Cook Strait has won resource consent from Marlborough District Council.

New Zealand King Salmon, Aotearoa’s largest salmon producer, has a history of disease and mass mortalities on their farms. In FY22 their Queen Charlotte farms reached a 57% mortality rate.

SAFE Campaigns Manager, Anna de Roo, said she was both alarmed and perplexed by the news of granted consent.

"This is a company who accepts a 25% mortality rate on their farms as standard and is forecasting a 38.8% mortality rate for the next financial year. They should be facing consequences for breaches under the animal welfare act - not expanding operations," said de Roo.

While New Zealand King Salmon has claimed that the cooler waters of the Cook Strait will bring down mortality rates, their investor presentation makes clear that high temperatures are only one factor in the mass salmon deaths with "... opportunistic microorganism/diseases, feed related issues, predators, reduced oxygen levels, biofouling and other stressors," all contributing to the deaths."

"Salmon are sentient animals, as capable of feeling pain as pigs, cows, or any other animals. They are recognised under the Animal Welfare Act and are owed protection."

"Salmon farming is factory farming, which is inherently cruel. Argentina banned fish farming last year and Aotearoa needs to ban it too."

SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.

We're creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.

Notes for editors: - Salmon farms consist of multiple underwater sea cages. These cages can vary in size, but a 30m x 40m cage that’s 15 meters deep can hold about 30,000 fishes. Stocking density is typically 25kg of biomass per 1 cubic metre of water, which would equate to a bathtub of water for each salmon.

- Marlborough District Council Senior Planning Officer’s advice stated: "In broad terms I consider that the development and operation of either or both salmon farms, or parts thereof, would result in unacceptable levels of adverse effects on what is a highly natural and highly valued environment which is sensitive to change."

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