A shadowy underwater organisation has claimed responsibility for the recent mass salmon outbreaks at Hoon Aquaculture.

The little-known Salmonid Liberation Army said it had sent in ‘special operatives’ to damage the pens that led to an escape of at least 170,000 salmon from enclosures in southern Tasmania.

An anonymous spokesfish made the claim in a call to Tasmanian Times late last night.

“Using a team of highly-skilled special operatives, who have spent their lives getting ready for this kind of action, we were able to liberate many brothers and sisters from their opression,” he said.

“Mere nets are no significant barrier to our fearless Seal Team 6,” he declared.

“Let us say our seals are not afraid to die in the war against aquaculture, and a lot of them do.”

An analyst of underwater movements said he had only heard of the SLA a few times before, but they were rapidly becoming a threat to the aquaculture industry.

“I’d describe them as a loose collective of disaffected salmon, trout and char all seeking a permanent and safe homelandwater from ‘human tyranny’ as they claim,” explained the analyst who preferred to hide his identity for fear of retribution.

“Add in the odd Trotskyite grayling and they are an explosive mix.”

The group demonstrated their capacity in the first attack at Hoon Aquaculture by blowing up a small motor, leading to the escape of around 50,000 adult salmon.

The most recent attack was a more subtle slashing of netting which released 120-130,000 juvenile salmon into Storm Bay.

“This shows that the group has a range of tactics and capabilities at its disposal, making them very dangerous indeed,” observed the analyst.

The aquaculture industry meanwhile threatened to fight back with excuses and obfuscation.

“We’ve never heard of this mob,” said Hoon Executive Director Truth Bender, “but what they say is entirely untrue.”

“The reality is that the salmon did not escape…after several months of lockdown due to coronavirus restrictions, they were allowed out beyond the previous limit of zero metres from home. Due to a mistake by Dan Andrews’s hotel quarantine people. Completely out of our control.”

“But demonstrates our commitment to a full economic surge as we rebuild into the new normal. May we suggest a gas BBQ led recovery?”

Bender said another half a million fish ‘under his care’ were continuing to observe social isolation requirements.

“We look after them very well in small cages of dirty water until we kill them by asphyxiation and chop them into bits,” said Bender. “Exactly why salmonids think they’re being hard done by is a complete mystery.”

The USA signalled its solidarity by announcing that it was moving its embassy to Hoonville, ‘the undisputed capital for all eternity’ of Fishrael.

The Salmonid Liberation Army did not elaborate on its future plans, saying only that that fish farmers should not sleep easily.

“Well, they’ve got their noisy fucking machinery to blame for that for a start,” said the spokesfish. “But we’ll bide our time. Just wait…one day the starfish will align and bam!”