Media release – Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection (TPMP), 1 June 2023
SUPPORTING CALL ON PLIBERSEK TO ACT IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT EXTINCTION OF MAUGEAN SKATE IN MACQUARIE HARBOUR.
Along with local, national and international environmental groups, Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection (TPMP) supports as a matter of urgency that Tanya Plibersek address the call from scientists at IMAS to instigate immediate action to save the Maugean skate from extinction.
Terry Brumby, president of TPMP says: “It is perplexing that in establishing the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area that one third of the waters of Macquarie Harbour are within the boundary of TWWHA, while the remainder were assigned no other protected status than all other coastal waters of the state. With current salmon leases being as close as 1000 metres from the boundary there have previously been dead zones reported within the TWWHA attributed to salmon aquaculture. Clearly the values of the world heritage site have been severely compromised from the beginning.”
“TPMP call for rapid action to save the Maugean skate. This must include immediate removal of all fin fish farming in Macquarie Harbour. We do not wish to read that further monitoring reveals the skate is declared extinct.
The Maugean skate is rarely seen. It is not a cute, pretty, cuddly, colourful creature. It will never be a megastar of Disney animation. It will never capture our hearts by real or perceived interactions and intelligence. But the Maugean skate has the right of every other endangered species in Australia to be afforded the highest commitment of a civilised and wealthy society to nurture its habitat and ensure its continued existence.
TPMP members and supporters therefore beg the Federal Labour Government and our Minister for the Environment to respond to calls from across Australia and the world to act immediately to prevent a global extinction event which could be the first of its kind for any shark or ray in modern times. We do not want the Maugean skate to infamously bear a tag as the ‘Thylacine of the sea’.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 1 June 2023
Federal Environment Minister must act immediately to stop Maugean skate extinction
Scientists, community groups and NGOs have sent an open letter to federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, urging immediate action to save the Maugean skate from extinction.
The Mageaun skate is an ancient fish found only in the waters of Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania. A recent emergency report released by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science sounded the alarm over the parlous situation of the Maugean skate, warning that the animal was on the brink of extinction. This week in Senate Estimates in Canberra, the Maugean skate’s situation was described as “dire”.
“The letter points out that one of the first and most obvious steps is for fish farms to be completely removed from Macquarie Harbour,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.
“It has been made very clear by Canberra over the last few days that fish farms are playing a big role in the Maugean skate’s demise. There is no question that they must be removed.”
“Minister Plibersek has called for extreme intervention to save the skate. The new Labor government promised no new extinctions but already the Maugean skate is teetering on the edge.”
“The threatened species commissioner, Dr Fiona Fraser, said that she will be recommending that the Maugean skate be uplisted from endangered to critically endangered. We urge the Environment Minister to act upon that immediately.”
“Premier Rockliff is also firmly on the hook for this as well. The Tasmanian Government must do everything in its power to save this unique Tasmanian animal. Like it or not, that means removing fish farms.”
