Celebrity chefs reject Tasmanian farmed salmon in growing global campaign
Several prominent Australian chefs are taking a public stance against the farmed salmon industry in Tasmania, joining a global campaign that highlights environmental concerns and calls for alternative sourcing.
Matthew Evans, chef and television host of SBS series Gourmet Farmer and What’s The Catch, has declared he will no longer serve Tasmanian salmon at his Fat Pig Farm in the Huon Valley.
“We see first hand the rubbish and devastation that poorly regulated and unsustainable fish farming has caused,” said Evans, who lives and works in the region. He added, “It’s a dirty industry that refuses to clean up its act.”
Evans is now part of the Off The Table campaign, an international initiative that originated in Scotland and is supported by organisations across the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, and Australia. The campaign encourages chefs, restaurants, and consumers to reject open-net farmed salmon and consider more sustainable alternatives.
“It’s clear the way Tasmania produced salmon continues to harm Tasmania’s natural environment,” Evans said, suggesting families consider other options such as mullet, pink ling or whiting for Easter. He advocates for eating lower on the food chain, including oysters and sardines, which require fewer natural resources.
In Australia, the initiative is being coordinated by the community group Neighbours of Fish Farming. Campaign organiser Jess Coughlan said a growing number of chefs and venues are committing to remove farmed Tasmanian salmon from their menus due to concerns over sustainability.
The movement follows recent incidents, including a bacterial outbreak that led to mass fish deaths and environmental contamination in southern Tasmania. The event also resulted in the loss of RSPCA certification for Tasmanian salmon farming.
Chef Analiese Gregory, known for her work on Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking, is also backing the campaign. “It can be hard to need to change menu items for a variety of reasons but I feel that one small achievable step at a time is the answer,” she said. Gregory urged chefs to research, make informed choices, and educate diners along the way.
Stephen Peak, head chef at The Agrarian Kitchen in New Norfolk, stressed the importance of promoting local, sustainable seafood options. “Open net fish farming in Tasmania is unsustainable,” he said. “Salmon and ocean trout are farmed in coastal waterways using industrial farming practices and come at a significant cost to the environment.”
Echoing the sentiment, Mitch Orr, former head chef at Kiln in Sydney, criticised the industry’s practices. “I’ll never serve farmed Atlantic salmon or ocean trout from Tasmania. These products are the result of an unethical food system,” he said. “It’s simply not a fish I would be able to take pride in plating up.”
Jonathan Jackson, 16th April 2025
