Controversial decision about future of rare Aussie fish 'not close to passing the pub test'

With no more than 120 mature Maugean skate fish left in the world, experts are worried about a controversial decision that may impact its fate.

Commercially farmed salmon in Coles
Commercially farmed salmon has been linked to the destruction of the Maugean skate's habitat. Source: Supplied

It’s a fish so rare, it’s only found in one place in the world, and it could soon be extinct in the wild. Australia’s Maugean skate has rapidly died off as waters are fouled and oxygen levels are depleted by the country’s multi-million-dollar commercial salmon farming industry — a supplier to major supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths.

Public consultation on whether the endangered fish should be uplisted from endangered to critically endangered to give it more protection closed a month ago. But on Tuesday, the federal government made an announcement that enraged conservationists around the country.

It put off deciding the fish’s future until October, 2025 — a date that falls after the next federal election. As close to 250 submissions were received, it claims more time is needed to thoroughly assess them.

Australian Marine Conservation Society, a non-profit group that has argued in favour of the uplisting, says that with fish numbers so low, the decision “does not come close to passing the pub test”.

“Anyone can see that the Maugean skate is on the brink of extinction and should be listed as critically endangered," its shark expert Dr Leonardo Guida said.

“Salmon farming has dramatically depleted the oxygen levels in Macquarie Harbour, and removing salmon farming is the fastest way to improve oxygen levels for the skate to survive and recover,” he added.

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This is the first maugean skate bred in captivity. It's in a tank.
While the Maugean skate has been bred in captivity, the wild population is dwindling. Source: Jayson Semmens

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek's office did not respond to a request from Yahoo News for an interview about the decision. Instead, it issued a statement from a spokesperson saying, “The Minister has granted a request from the independent scientific experts for more time to consider substantial and highly technical comments they received during public consultation”.

A local senator celebrated the decision to extend the timeframe for making a decision. "Labor is a great supporter of the Tasmanian salmon industry. I'm a big supporter of the Tasmanian salmon industry," Senator Anne Urquhart told ABC Radio.

Many of the submissions are understood to be from the salmon farming industry and its supporters. While the industry claims to be cleaning up production waste, uplisting the stingray-like fish would have added pressure to ban it from its only habitat, Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour.

Left: Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Right: A Maugean skate.
A spokesperson from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s office said more time was needed to consider submissions about the Maugean skate's conservation listing. Source: Jane Rucker/IMAS/Getty

Between 40 to 120 mature Maugean skates are believed to survive in the wild. And while a captive breeding program has shown some success this year, conservationists argue its habitat is so degraded there’s nowhere to release them.

Humane Society International accused the government of not prioritising the skate for protection, even though it is one of its 110 “priority species”.

“Macquarie Harbour is part of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area and integral to the state’s reputation for natural beauty and conservation. The extinction of the Maugean skate would be a devastating blow to Australia’s biodiversity and to Tasmania’s brand and natural heritage,” its marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck said.

The Bob Brown Foundation called the delay "appalling", accusing Plibersek of "playing Russian roulette" with the species' future.

"Minister Plibersek is ignoring her role as Environment Minister while we are seeing a global extinction crisis. Plibersek is potentially putting the decision off to someone else, post federal election we doubt she will be the Environment Minister anymore," campaigner Alistair Allan said.

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