Turning the Tide Newsletter – Summer 2025
Salmon Polluting Macquarie Harbour
Salmon farms must be removed from Macquarie Harbour for the endangered Maugean skate to have any chance of survival.
Intensive aquaculture in the harbour results in uneaten fish-feed and fish faeces sinking to the bottom, driving microbial activity that consumes oxygen and further depletes the naturally low-oxygen levels in the harbour.
Such is the extent of this, that ‘dead zones’ have been created throughout the harbour’s deeper waters.
Independent advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to the Australian Government recommended as an urgent priority, the removal of salmon from the harbour as one of the fastest ways to improve oxygen levels and save the skate.
Without action, this could be the first time aquaculture has been the primary cause and directly driven the extinction of a marine fish. Tasmania’s famed reputation for its wild and unspoilt natural places will be forever tarnished if the skate becomes extinct.
Ensure your local Member is aware of the skate’s plight, and urge them to support the science and uphold the Australian Government’s promise of ‘no new extinctions’.
Save The Maugean Skate
Australia’s living dinosaur faces imminent extinction because of its primary threat, salmon farming, in its only home, Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania.
Contact your local Member now to ensure they know the skate’s plight and uphold the Australian Government’s promise of ‘no new extinctions’.