A project to improve water quality in Macquarie Harbour has entered its next stage.
The $18.3 million Oxygenation Offset Program in Macquarie Harbour (OOPMH) will:
- address low oxygen levels in harbour waters, a key threat to the Maugean skate
- monitor progress to support the skate's recovery.
The endangered Maugean skate is only found in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast. About one third of the harbour lies within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The skate is one of the area's Outstanding Universal Values.
We're partnering with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) to deliver the OOPMH, which builds on a successful 2-year trial. The OOPMH includes both a science project and mechanical oxygenation.
- The University of Tasmania's Institute of Antarctic and Marine Studies (IMAS) will deliver the Science Project. This project will independently track and monitor oxygenation outcomes.
- Salmon Tasmania will deliver the Oxygenation Project to scale up mechanical oxygenation in the harbour.
The providers were selected through an open and competitive tender process.
The Australian Government has committed $37.5 million to support the Maugean skate's recovery and its habitat since 2021.
