Why we source our salmon from New Zealand (and not Tasmania)

When we first switched our salmon, the conversation around Tassie salmon’s animal welfare issues was only just emerging. However, over the past few years these issues have been prominently discussed in the media. Some of the issues you may have read about in the news include:

• Mass fish mortality events, including the largest the Tassie salmon industry has ever seen (5,500 tonnes), in February due to disease and warmer weather. The fish were then dumped in Tassie waste facilities. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-07/salmon-die-off-in-tasmania-largest-ever-seen-epa/105019476

• Environmental impacts including oily, fatty chunks washing up on beaches, algal blooms, low levels of oxygen and dead zones, impacts on the Macquarie Harbour world heritage site https://goodfish.org.au/species/atlantic-salmon/

• Extinction risk for the endangered Maugean Skate (only found in this area), as well as wildlife controls that seriously impact protected seals in the area. https://goodfish.org.au/species/atlantic-salmon/

• Animal cruelty claims, with a recent video showing Huon workers sealing live salmon into a tub with dead salmon
  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-06/huon-aquaculture-responds-to-salmon-death-video/105015524

• Use of antibiotics in Tassie salmon due to bacterial disease outbreaks, which can then also be consumed by other wild fish in the area (the antibiotic is contained in the fish feed). https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-20/dead-salmon-in-tasmanian-fish-pens/104954444

So, all of this is quite a bummer to hear right? All these reasons and more are why Tassie salmon is unfortunately designated as red rated (say no) by the AMCS Good Fish Project. But there is good news! And that is that our delicious Ora King Salmon, farmed by our friendly neighbours in New Zealand is green rated and has amazing world class aquaculture practices!

The first thing you will notice about Ora King Salmon is the bright orange, firm flesh and the distinctive fat marbling on each piece. Ora King Salmon is very high in omega 3’s, and this high fat content gives it a really soft, buttery texture, which is why it’s often referred to as “the wagyu of the sea”.

Ora King’s flavour and texture are very unique - and as a bonus, the extra marbling gives you a bit more wiggle room in your cooking as the fat stops it from drying out as easily as Atlantic Salmon. A lot of our customers tell us that it’s hard to go back to Atlantic Salmon after having had Ora because of the huge jump in quality and taste!

Ora King Salmon is farmed in the pristine waters of New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, located on the Northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. Ora King’s facilities take full advantage of the dramatically jagged coastline of the fjordland that is fed by funnelling Antarctic ocean currents that keep the water clean, cool and well oxygenated.

Ora King work in concert with local councils, the NZ government and consulting environmental bodies to conduct their operations with as little impact as possible on the surrounding wilderness. They are renowned for having some of the best aquaculture practices in the world, with a super low stocking density of 2% fish to 98% water. A low stocking density is incredibly important when it comes to fish welfare as crowding can cause issues with disease in farmed fish population. In addition to this, their feed is GMO and antibiotic free and designed to provide the fish with an optimum balance of nutrients (you can read all about their feed here https://orakingsalmon.co.nz/our-feed/).

Ora King have produced a great documentary which covers the whole operation, including the full life cycle of the salmon which you can watch here - https://orakingsalmon.co.nz/documentary/

We are so proud to stock Ora King Salmon, a sustainable and delicious seafood option we can all feel good about.