On Sunday, 18th June, 2017, I was invited to address a rally in Hobart protesting against a proposed industrial-scale salmon farm at Okehampton Bay, on the island state’s iconic east coast. You can read more about the background to this divisive issue here. Below is a transcript of my speech to the 1,000-plus folks from across the political and social spectrums who attended this powerful demonstration of people power, dubbed “FloatMo” by its organisers: “Unlike the vast majority of you here today, I’m not a Tasmanian. This is not an issue that’s literally in my backyard. Instead, I’m one of those million-plus visitors who come to this beautiful island each year from the mainland and all over the world. “I love my regular visits to Tasmania, whether I’m wading a trout stream or lake edge with a fly rod in my hand, flicking a lure for a wily bream here in the Derwent River or — as I was yesterday — trolling for tuna in the shadow of those awesome cliffs south of Eaglehawk Neck… There’s so much to love about Tasmania! “So, while this might not be my backyard, I do feel very connected to this place, especially after dozens of visits across several decades. And I feel that I’m qualified to tell you a little bit about what it is that brings people like myself to this island state to spend our tourist dollars. “For me (and, I suspect, for many others) it’s about the “wildness” of the place: “wildness”, but not necessarily wilderness. This “wildness” has been lost in so many other parts of the world. For many of us who visit Tasmania, it’s all about the feeling of being somewhere that has largely escaped the worst ravages of rampant development. “It’s the clean,...