Header image credit: Bob Brown Foundation
The endangered Maugean skate is being pushed toward extinction by destructive salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour. Now, the Albanese government is weakening nature laws, removing protections, and prioritizing industry profits over conservation.
This is an animal that survived the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs, but it may not survive the Albanese government.
How is salmon farming destroying the Maugean skate?
The Federal Government’s own conservation advice for the Maugean skate describes the pollution created by salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour as being “catastrophic” for the endangered fish.
The Maugean skate has lived in its brackish ocean home since the dinosaurs, but today only an estimated 1,500 individuals remain in the Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania.
Salmon farming is depleting the oxygen in the water and essentially choking the skate. Uneaten fish-feed and fish faeces from the salmon farms sink to the bottom of the harbour, depleting the already naturally low-oxygen levels and creating ‘dead’-zones in deeper waters. These destructive practices combined with weather events like the 2019 storms churned up salmon waste and excess salmon food from the depths of Macquarie Harbour. The harbour was basically flipped upside down, and oxygen-depleted bottom waters were pushed up the water column choking nearly half the skate population in shallower waters.
This could happen again.
How does salmon farming impact the environment?
The impacts of intensive salmon farming go beyond the Maugean skate and Macquarie Harbour.
- Mass death and disease: In Tasmania’s south, Houon and Tassal (the same operators as in Macquarie Harbour) have recently been dealing with a mass disease outbreak and mass salmon deaths, resulting in more than 5,500 tonnes of dead salmon being dumped. Not all the death and destruction could be contained, with reports of rotting and congealed fat globules of salmon and fish oil washing up on Tasmanian beaches.
- Impacts on waterways, wildlife and humans: Huon, one of the three major salmon producers in Tasmania stated that it was administering antibiotics to salmon in its pens in the D’Entrecasteux Channel in southern Tasmania, prompting concerns from locals and consumers about the impact of these on waterways, wildlife and humans. Previously, wild fish near Tasmanian salmon farms have been found to have antibiotics five times the legal limit.
- Animal welfare: In a move that horrified consumers, Huon staff were caught sealing life salmon into crates with dead ones, and the RSPCA has revoked its certification.
How is the Albanese government weakening nature laws?
The Albanese government this week introduced amendments to the national nature laws that effectively terminate a review of the impact salmon farming is having on the endangered Maugean Skate and the adjacent World Heritage Area.
Why? To let the polluting, destructive salmon farming industry in Tasmania off the hook. The Prime Minister wants to give a free pass to an industry that has already wreaked havoc on the World Heritage listed Macquarie Harbour.
After dragging their feet to strengthen nature laws and introduce an independent EPA, the Albanese government are suddenly rushing to weaken them, opening the floodgates to more carve-outs for coal, gas and deforestation projects that will put nature and climate at even greater risk.
What does this mean for Australia’s environment and threatened species?
This amendment sets a dangerous precedent for other destructive and polluting industries like coal and gas to get away with environmental vandalism. We are already in an extinction crisis fueled by habitat destruction and climate change. Our precious wildlife cannot afford more excuses and loopholes.
We call on the Albanese government to do the right thing and protect nature. Labor must fix our broken laws NOW, not make them worse.
How can I help protect the Maugean skate?
- Speak up to save the skate! We must tell the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to stop selling out Australian wildlife. Forward this letter to Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton demanding strong nature laws and no special deals for big polluters.
- At this upcoming federal election, we need to make our demands of the next parliament clear. We want strong new environment laws, now. Your vote has impact, and together we can protect all threatened species like the Maugean skate before it’s too late. Pledge your vote to climate and nature.