The Environment Minister's refusal to up-list the conservation status of the endangered Maugean skate does not hide the species' fatal future under the Albanese government's watch.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
"No matter its conservation status, the Maugean skate remains threatened by the persistent political stupidity of Labor prioritising foreign-owned corporations' profit over Tassie's marine environment.
"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 Maugean skate a fighting chance of survival is to remove toxic industrial Atlantic salmon farming from the skate's natural environment.
"Instead of taking the most direct action to protect the Maugean skate, Labor has resorted to a captive breeding program and spent millions of tax payers money on artificially oxygenating Macquarie Harbour.
"These are distractions. Without action to remove Atlantic salmon farming from the Maugean skate's natural environment, the government appears content to consign the endangered prehistoric species to an aquarium.
"The Environment Minister's refusal to up-list the conservation status of the endangered Maugean skate does not hide the species' fatal future under the Albanese government's watch.
"The Greens call for full transparency from the Environment Minister on his decision - including any and all updated advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee - given the original advice from 2023 was to uplist the skate to critically endangered.
"The Greens look forward to hearing from the Minister about how captive bred skate will be reintroduced back into a polluted harbour of the salmon industry's making.
"The real decision the Minister has to make has not changed, and it is a moral one: is it more important to prevent the avoidable extinction of an entire species or protect the profits of foreign-owned salmon companies?"
