‘Do you care?’: Coles stares down anti-salmon activists
Coles’ shareholders backed the supermarket giant’s approach to salmon farming, but not before directors got an earful from activists defending an endangered prehistoric fish.
A Queensland teenager was among conservationists who questioned the company’s approach to sourcing salmon from Tasmania’s Port Macquarie at the grocery giant’s annual general meeting on Tuesday.
Coles’ leaders have deflected questions about its fish supply despite delivering a string of strong sales results as it gains an advantage over arch-rival Woolworths.
Spencer Hitchen, 14, told executives and shareholders he couldn’t understand how adults could further threaten already endangered species.
“Are you willing to knowingly exterminate the Maugean skates and do you care about the future of my generation?” he asked.
The harbor is believed to be the only remaining natural habitat for the skate, a flat-bodied stingray that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs.
Coles chairman Peter Allen said he was pleased with what the science told them and what the firm was doing about it.
“We don’t want to be associated with the extinction of the Maugean skate,” he said.
Mr Allen said Coles had been engaging with stakeholders such as university scientists, non-governmental organizations and the Tasmanian Environmental Protection Agency since 2019 to understand the impact of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
Activists say fish farming there causes poor water quality and low oxygen levels, threatening the survival of the stingrays; but scientists from the University of Tasmania reported in February that the stingray population has increased in recent years.
Mr Allen said he visited the port with the company’s chief executive, Leah Weckert, in October and was encouraged by the steps scientists and industry were taking on the complex issue.
“Coles takes responsible sourcing seriously,” he said.
At its annual general meeting on Tuesday, only 12.5 percent of Coles shares voted in favor of a resolution backed by activists who wanted Coles to align its seafood sourcing to a global best practice standard.
This decision was never formally presented to the meeting as it was contingent on the adoption of the company’s charter amendment.
Coles’ board recommended voting against the decisions, saying they would duplicate ongoing work and potentially increase costs without any net environmental benefit.
The board also noted that the decisions were supported by a group of shareholders who held only a small share of the company’s issued capital.
Shareholders at Woolworths’ annual general meeting also voted against similar resolutions in October, but received greater support, with 34 per cent voting in favor of the farmed seafood reporting policy.
Coles made a profit of $1.1bn in the last financial year, while sales revenue grew twice as fast as major rival Woolworths in the first quarter of 2025/26.
The company’s shares rose marginally to $22.30 on Tuesday.
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