2024-08-13
The Greens have welcomed news of the first captively-bred Maugean skate, but reiterated governments must do more to protect the skate in its last remaining habitat, which is being polluted by industrial salmon farming.
Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans & senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“This is heartening news for scientists who've worked hard to ensure the Maugean skate avoids imminent extinction, but captive-bred skate still need a healthy home to return to, and sadly their last remaining habitat is being destroyed by a polluting salmon farming industry.
“Business as usual is not an option. We can’t continue to remove the ancient skate from its only known home while ongoing industrial farming of a toxic introduced species threatens its very existence.
“It’s been almost 200 days since the Environment Minister was forced to review the Federal Government’s 2012 decision to permit an expansion of fish farming operations in Macquarie Harbour – what is the Minister waiting for? No amount of captively-bred skate will change the threat salmon farming presents to the skate’s only natural home.
“The Maugean skate needs habitat as well as 'hope'. The Federal Government’s own scientific advice clearly states the key threat to the skate’s survival is poor water quality in Macquarie Harbour, and that the primary cause of this is Atlantic salmon farming.
"The best way to give the skate a fighting chance of survival is to remove toxic industrial salmon farming from the skate’s natural environment – it’s that simple."