Saving Martha

Tasmania is regarded as one of the wildest, most pristine states in Australia. In recent years however that reputation has been tarnished by the boom of the local salmon farming industry. With environmental regulations struggling to keep pace with the industry’s growth, the marine environments that host the industry have been significantly impacted and in some cases have approached collapse. Increased scrutiny of the industry – aided by the mobile nature of ocean pen farming – has forced operators to find new locations. When the industry set their sights on opening up a new territory on neighboring King Island – adjacent to the world-class waves of Martha Lavinia Beach – they were unaware they were also picking a fight with surfers worldwide.