Supermarket giant Woolworths is the focus of a shareholder campaign, coordinated by ethical share trading platform SIX, calling on investors to vote against the re-election of Chair Scott Perkins.

The block of shareholders comprises a range of diverse investors, including Tasmanian residents who call for accountability and due diligence from the supermarket giant when it comes to the extinction crisis facing their unique wildlife.

The members’ statement was coordinated by SIX and supported by 230 shareholders. It was submitted to Woolworths last week, to be distributed to all shareholders ahead of the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 29 October 2026. 

The members’ statement outlines that under Perkins’ leadership the company has:

• Ignored shareholder voice on material concerns expressed through record high support for resolutions
• Shown poor judgement by initiating communications with Woolworths’ largest competitor, Coles
• Overseen a period where the reputation of Woolworths as a corporation has fallen when research suggests nearly one-third of all shareholder value is attributed to reputation. 

Woolworths, as well as Coles, source salmon from Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast which is the only home of the endangered Maugean Skate. One-third of the harbour forms the World Heritage Area and the ancient skate is a species of recognised World Heritage value. Scientific advice indicates that salmon farming is the biggest threat to the creature’s survival. 

The shareholder campaign builds on two years of globally significant calls from shareholders for the company to stop linking itself with the potential extinction event of a 66 million year old endangered creature.

In 2024, a huge one-third of shareholders rallied against the board’s recommendation and voted in support of resolutions put forward by the Save the Skate coalition. This support included many of the world’s largest pension funds, representing millions of members, and sent a strong message to the board about investor sentiment. This globally high vote for nature then increased to 34% the next year, demonstrating continued shareholder concern.

In Australia, shareholders have few tools available to them to express opinions to companies. When shareholders have delivered consecutive world record votes against the board, and that shareholder opinion continues to be ignored, they have few options available to them other than to target director re-elections. 

Adam Verwey, CEO and co-founder at SIX, said:

"It’s disappointing that a year on from the last high shareholder vote, Woolworths has failed to take any meaningful action to sourcing extinction salmon. If the board won’t respond to overwhelming shareholder concerns, then we have no choice but to vote against their leadership. When we’ve raised this issue with the investment community, they’ve raised other concerns about Woolworths leadership and governance. Ignoring large shareholder votes on a potential extinction is now just one part of the protest against Scott Perkins’ re-election as chair."

Lisa Litjens, Vice President at Neighbours of Fish Farming, said:

"Retaining Tasmania's World Heritage area and the ancient Maugean skate is an urgent priority. NOFF commends Geoff Cousins, SIX and all those involved who are fighting to hold big supermarkets to account. The removal of industrial salmon farming from Macquarie Harbour is already overdue."

Jess Coughlan, Senior Skate Campaigner at Environment Tasmania, said:

"The 34% shareholder vote result from 2025 delivered a clear and strong message to the Woolworths board regarding the urgency of protecting the endangered Maugean skate against extinction through management of supply chains, and accurate risk disclosures. This, the world's highest result for a nature related resolution has been effectively ignored, and add to that, Woolworths is now the first retailer in the world to receive an OECD complaint on environmental impacts - a complaint that has been assessed and picked up by the Australian National Contact Point on this issue."

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Header image: Kelly Roebuck and Jess Coughlan from Save the Skate coalition speaking to media at the Woolworths Annual General Meeting in 2024.