Big boost for skate survival
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The federal government has pledged $28 million to improve environmental conditions in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, focusing on the critically endangered Maugean skate.
The funding aims to address declining water quality in the harbour, where low oxygen levels have jeopardised the skate’s survival.
Central to the plan is the expansion of an oxygenation trial, which has been underway to improve dissolved oxygen levels in the harbour’s waters.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the funding balances environmental conservation with support for Tasmania’s $1 billion aquaculture industry, ensuring the sustainability of the salmon farming sector while safeguarding the local ecosystem.
As part of the plan, $21 million will be spent on scaling up an oxygenation program to counteract the effects of human activity (including salmon farming) on the harbour’s environment.
A breeding program for the Maugean skate will also receive a $5 million boost, enabling the hatching and rearing of juvenile skates for release back into the wild.
In addition, $2.5 million is allocated for ongoing monitoring of the skate population and the broader harbour environment, alongside community engagement initiatives in Strahan.
The government has pointed to recent increases in oxygen levels within the harbour as evidence of progress, but not all parties are convinced.
Environmental groups, including the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and Humane Society International Australia, have criticised the focus on oxygenation.
They argue that the technology is unproven in this context and suggest the funding would be better directed towards addressing the root cause of the problem - salmon farming’s impact on the harbour.
Alexia Wellbelove, AMCS’s Fisheries and Threatened Species Campaign Manager, says salmon biomass in the harbour has not been reduced despite federal conservation advice recommending its removal.
“The endangered Maugean skate is choking to death in Macquarie Harbour because intense salmon farming has stripped the waters of oxygen,” she said.
Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist with Humane Society International Australia, agreed that without addressing this underlying issue, the skate’s survival remains uncertain.
He warned that the population, estimated at just 40 to 120 mature individuals, is vulnerable to extreme weather events that could further deplete oxygen levels.