Publicised scrutiny and mediatised environmental conflict: The case of Tasmanian salmon aquaculture

Cullen-Knox, Coco; Fleming, Aysha; Lester, Libby; Ogier, Emily

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2018.11.040

Cited by 31 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Only one case, the Land Court case, allowed for merit review of science-based decisions, but due to controversy over evidence given regarding the mine's employment benefits, the economic merit of mining gained prominence. This observed absence of scientists is consistent with studies of mediatized conflict in the Tasmanian salmon industry (Cullen-Knox et al 2019), the protection of the Great Barrier Reef (Foxwell-Norton and Konkes 2019) and, more broadly, climate change news (Anderson 2011). While claims of environmental impact were often spoken by litigants in the PEL cases here, the legitimacy of these claims did not carry the authority of expert witnesses.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Mediated Visibility and Public Environmental Litigation: The Interplay between Inside and Outside Court during Environmental Conflict in Australia

Nixon

Konkes

Lester

et al. 2021

Laws

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Conflicts over environmental sustainability are increasingly being fought in court, such as the use of Public Environmental Litigation (PEL) to challenge developments impacting the environment in Australia and elsewhere. News media coverage of PEL introduces legal actors to the dynamics of mediatized environmental conflict, which provides a platform for conflict actors to gain mediated visibility for their cause to influence public debate. When legal opportunities, such as PEL, are used as a campaign tactic, the dynamics of contest are exposed and, while courts have some power over legal actors, parties seek news media to favorably translate legal outcomes to the public. This article explores the nexus of PEL, news media, and communication strategies to find greater understanding of who gains from the mediated visibility that occurs when transnational environmental campaigns take their claims to court. Using content analysis and discourse analysis of news texts and semi-structured interviews relating to eight PEL cases instigated to stop the Adani Carmichael coal megamine in Australia, we seek better understanding of the mechanisms at play when PEL campaigns appear in news media, and find that the dominance of outside court sources in news coverage not only privilege the political aspects of PEL over the legal, but highlights how strategic litigation, such as PEL, can be used to influence public opinion and, therefore, a political response, regarding environmental conflict.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Mediated Visibility and Public Environmental Litigation: The Interplay between Inside and Outside Court during Environmental Conflict in Australia

Nixon

Konkes

Lester

et al. 2021

Laws

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“…This media attention has focused on how the environmental risk of the industries' expansion has been managed. The complex social networks that formed around these critical discourse moments are explored in previous work (Cullen-Knox et al, 2019).…”

Section: Local Conflicts In Tasmania Concerning Salmon Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other Tasmanian salmon aquaculture companies hold third-party certification by other providers. However, the partnership between Tassal and ASC has been the most visible and contentious in the Tasmanian public discourse (Cullen-Knox et al, 2019).…”

Section: Local Conflicts In Tasmania Concerning Salmon Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Criteria included salmon mortality rates, stocking density and escapees, bird and seal interactions, antibiotic use, genetic modification, dissolved oxygen levels, site water temperature and depth, capacity to flush waste, impact on protected species and areas and wild fish use in feed . Simultaneously, Environment Tasmania commenced a campaign against transnational ENGO WWF for partnering with Tassal (see Cullen-Knox et al, 2019).…”

Section: Local Conflicts In Tasmania Concerning Salmon Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Tracing Environmental Sustainability Discourses: An Australia-Asia Seafood Case Study

et al. 2020

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The seafood market is highly globalised with a growing demand for seafood and fish products worldwide. The capacity of wild fisheries is limited and therefore aquaculture is fast becoming the most stable source of seafood to meet increasing demand. Subsequently, the perceived environmental risk of fin-fish aquaculture has been the focus of substantial environmental campaigning, media and public scrutiny around the world. This paper places localised tensions regarding the environmental impacts of salmon aquaculture within transnational environmental sustainability debates concerning seafood production and vice-versa, with a focus on the Australia-Asia region. The results contribute to understanding the interpretation and communication of environmental sustainability of seafood through international supply chains and to audiences at different spatial scales. The paper draws particularly on the case of salmon aquaculture in Tasmania, Australia's southern island state. It highlights mechanisms, such as certification, for which information flows transnationally regarding the environmental sustainability of seafood production, the resultant transnational and local public sphere and the implications for local discourse, market access, governance and certification of seafood production.

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“…Agencies can choose to defer action for foresights that are estimated as emerging later and increase focus for futures that are emerging earlier. For example, issues associated with two early emerging futures, ''aquaculture divided'' and ''social media as truth,'' are already challenging society (e.g., dividing communities 57 ) and science (e.g., combatting misinformation 58 ) around the world. In response to these or any other early emerging foresights, a research agency can choose to commission projects, recruit expertise in these areas, undertake additional communication, etc.…”

Section: Quantitative Foresightingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative Foresighting as a Means of Improving Anticipatory Scientific Capacity and Strategic Planning

et al. 2020

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Publicised scrutiny and mediatised environmental conflict: The case of Tasmanian salmon aquaculture

Cited by 31 publications

References 25 publications

Mediated Visibility and Public Environmental Litigation: The Interplay between Inside and Outside Court during Environmental Conflict in Australia

Mediated Visibility and Public Environmental Litigation: The Interplay between Inside and Outside Court during Environmental Conflict in Australia

Tracing Environmental Sustainability Discourses: An Australia-Asia Seafood Case Study

Quantitative Foresighting as a Means of Improving Anticipatory Scientific Capacity and Strategic Planning

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