Salmon industry ad banned over underwater footage that could 'mislead'

Salmon Tasmania is appealing against a decision from the Ad Standards Community Panel after two of its 'Tasmanians depend on Salmon' videos were found to be in breach of advertising standards.

The ads in question are two versions of the same material; one a 15-second video promoted across Meta and Google platforms, and the other a 90-second ad that has been posted via those channels, as well as screened in cinemas across Tasmania.

Both versions also appeared on 7Plus, 9Now and SBS On Demand.

The videos have reached nearly half of the state's population, according to Salmon Tasmania.

Earlier this month, the Ad Standards Community Panel found both versions to be in breach of advertising standards relating to misleading environmental claims.

In a statement, Salmon Tasmania said it is "proud" of the campaign and would be appealing against the decision.

Removed ad showed ocean floor under salmon pens in Nubeena

Both videos centre around Kelsey Treloar, co-managing director of Southern Ocean SubSea (SoSub), a Tasmanian underwater robotics company.

According to the decision case report, in the 90-second video, Mr Treloar records footage to show that fishing pens do not disturb the underwater environment.

During scenes where marine animals are shown, Mr Treloar states, "people are under the perception that underneath the pens is just a wasteland of sludge".

"It's not that at all. We've seen every inch of these farms above and below the water," he said.

The video then shows underwater footage dated February 9, 2026, whilst Mr Treloar voices over that there is "no build up of any biomass. Thriving marine environment."

He concludes, "yes, it's definitely not what the critics say it is", followed by "the idea that the salmon industry isn't transparent is frustrating" and "don't just believe everything you hear".

Complaint questions 'untrue claims'

The case report for the longer of the videos states a complaint was made on the grounds that the ad "made untrue claims about the impact of salmon farming in the marine environment".

"The complainant added that he was sceptical about how accurate the footage from beneath the salmon pens was," the report reads.

The complaint in full is not included in the case reports.

In its response to the complaint, Salmon Tasmania said the footage in the ad is actual footage taken at Nubeena in southern Tasmania in February 2026, under "leased and stocked" salmon pens.

It said the message communicated is not that there is no build up of sediment under pens, but rather that the areas under salmon pens are not "sludge-covered wastelands" as is "commonly assumed".

The salmon body said the claims made in the ad are tied to the Nubeena area, while the complainant's reference to the depletion of the endangered Maugean skate is an issue in Macquarie Harbour, on the state's west coast.

However, it acknowledged "the overall impression created is that salmon pens, in general, do not create underwater wastelands".

Salmon Tasmania also submitted statements from SoSub and the underwater filming crew to "verify the visuals shown are true and accurate".

Panel finds ad 'would likely mislead' target consumer'

The panel found both videos breached section 1 of the AANA Environmental Claims Code, which states environmental claims in advertising must "be truthful and factual", and "not be misleading or deceptive to the target consumer".

In its assessment, the panel accepted that the ad specifically referenced the Nubeena area, however "the majority of the panel" considered the overall impression of the ad extended beyond Nubeena.

It also noted Salmon Tasmania's submissions that the visuals of the ad correlate with findings of environmental studies.

"The panel considered that the broader suggestion that the ad represented the typical reality of salmon farming across Tasmania was likely to mislead the target customer."

Salmon Tasmania was instructed to remove the ad from all media platforms.

Ad Standards to assess if review is justified

In a statement, Salmon Tasmania said it was "disappointed" by the decision and has sought an independent review "on the basis that the Community Panel appears to have ignored key evidence".

"The panel found that the ad in question was a true and accurate depiction of conditions under an active lease in Nubeena. They found no factual inaccuracies in the comments made in the ad," the statement reads.

The salmon body said it was "no surprise" its opponents had attempted to undermine the campaign.

"The footage in the Tasmanians Depend on Salmon campaign depicts actual seafloor conditions under an active lease in Nubeena," it said.

"The inconvenient truth for our opponents is that the conditions under those pens did not match their extreme rhetoric."

Greg Wallace, executive director of Ad Standards, said an advertiser can challenge a Community Panel decision through an independent review process, where a reviewer decides whether there are valid grounds for a review.

"If the criteria is met, the reviewer will then determine whether the original decision should stand or be reconsidered by the Community Panel, with the process conducted as efficiently as possible — typically within a matter of weeks," Mr Wallace said.