Threatened Species Day Presentation Highlights Plight of Handfish

Monday 6 September
Environment Tasmania will host a presentation focussed on the lesser known marine species the Handfish for this year’s Threatened Species Day. The Handfish, a unique and gregarious fish species is found only in Tasmania, and is one of 49 marine species found in Tasmania that are listed as threatened under Tasmanian and Federal legislation.

CSIRO scientist Mark Green will be giving a presentation on the unique and threatened Handfish as part of this special event.

What: Threatened Species Day Presentation
Who: Rebecca Hubbard, Environment Tasmania and Mark Green, CSIRO
When: 1-2pm Tuesday 7 September
Where: Dechaineaux Theatre, UTas Art School, Hunter St
FREE

“Tasmania has some of the world’s most unique and diverse marine environments, with around 80% of our marine life found nowhere else. But not all of these amazing creatures have a secure future,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Marine coordinator with Environment Tasmania.

“There are 49 marine species officially listed as threatened in Tasmania, but there could be many more whose survival is under threat from declining habitat, over-fishing, pollution, marine pests and climate change.

“Just like the Spotted Handfish, which is found only on the east coast of Tasmania, many marine species have restricted habitats, and those habitats are generally unprotected. A representative network of marine national parks would make a huge difference in helping to secure the future of this great range of marine life,” concluded Ms Hubbard.

There are 600 species listed as threatened in Tasmania, and just 49 of these live in the marine environment. It is thought that there could be many more than this official number, however monitoring and research is incredibly costly, and access and community visibility is much lower.

Rebecca Hubbard, Marine Coordinator, Environment Tasmania