Save the Skate | Rise Up for Tasmania's Oceans

Save the Skate

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As a Tasmanian, I firmly support urgently removing salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour to give the millenia old endangered Maugean skate a fighting chance of survival.

Tasmanians have many things to be proud of: internationally renowned wilderness, unique wildlife, and some of Australia’s best produce. However, our ‘green and clean’ brand is at risk of being replaced with one of extinction.

It’s not a coincidence that the Maugean skate has been dubbed the ‘Thylacine of the Sea’ by scientists. The shockingly familiar parallels between the skate and the Thylacine’s (Tasmanian Tiger) demise due to human activity is a deja vu your government must not let happen.

The science is clear. The Conservation Advice by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to the Australian Government’s Department of Environment identified salmon farming operations as a “very high risk” threat that is “almost certain to impact the Maugean skate throughout the entire harbour” with “catastrophic” consequences.

The Advice is based on numerous scientific studies and mounting evidence that the degraded environmental condition of Macquarie Harbour – particularly low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels – are the cause for the Maugean skate population declines.

The science is also clear on what is the ‘fastest and simplest’ way to improve oxygen levels in the harbour – remove salmon farms. In fact, the Conservation Advice explicitly called for an immediate destocking of salmon farms by Summer 2023/24. Concerningly, this has not yet been enacted upon by the Federal Government and the recently released Maugean skate "roadmap of agreed actions" states salmon farming biomass will only be considered from mid-2024.

Given the extinction emergency situation, I urge you to take immediate action and end salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour immediately.

While I applaud the Australian Government for investing in a captive breeding program and oxygenation technology trial, these alone are band-aid solutions. Half of the captive skates have died and the oxygenation pilot is just that, an unproven pilot. Improving the health of the harbour requires addressing the root cause of the degraded water quality – salmon farming.

Alternatives to farming in Macquarie Harbour exist for the salmon farming industry. Companies could choose alternative systems that minimize impacts on the surrounding environment, such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). Thus continuing to provide jobs while producing a more responsible product.

The Maugean skate, however, does not have an alternative habitat. The endangered skate’s is fighting for its existence in its final critical habitat, Macquarie Harbour.

The Tasmanian brand, and Australia’s global reputation, requires the Australian Government to do everything in its power to prevent this ancient species from being lost within the next few years.

That’s why I’m calling on you to uphold your government’s “no new extinctions” policy and immediately remove salmon farming from Macquarie Harbour to save the Maugean skate.

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