Australia’s salmon industry is facing a crossroads.
Recent moves by the Albanese government, including legislative reforms and the appointment of Murray Watt as Environment Minister, put the future of salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour squarely in the national and international spotlight.
The most pressing question:
Can extending salmon farm licences there meet not only domestic needs, but also Australia’s obligations under important international agreements to protect wetlands and biodiversity?
The “Shadow List”: Macquarie Harbour’s International Significance
Macquarie Harbour, while not officially designated as protected under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, is adjacent to an area acknowledged as an ‘Internationally Important Bird Area’ (IBA). This designation underscores its ecological significance, particularly for bird conservation, and reflects a high conservation value similar to that of Ramsar sites.
Australia’s commitments under the Ramsar Convention require it to consider the broader ecosystem in evaluating activities that could impact valuable wetlands like Macquarie Harbour. This is essential, as outlined by Article 6(3) of the convention, which mandates, via COP resolutions, to consider the use of scientific data and a precautionary approach in such assessments.
Further complicating the situation is the plight of the Maugean skate, a rare and endangered species exclusive to Macquarie Harbour. Its population has significantly declined in recent years, a change that scientists attribute to broader shifts within the harbour’s ecosystem. This illustrates the complex interconnections within wetlands and highlights the need for comprehensive ecosystem management considerations to give due regard to the Ramsar Convention.
“Wise Use” in a Changing World
While the Ramsar Convention does not demand that every wetland is left untouched, its principle of “wise use”—sustainable management that puts conservation front and centre—has only grown more important as the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss intensify. In practice, “wise use” requires that activities like salmon farming not undermine wetlands’ ecological health. Although the Ramsar text uses the phrase “as far as possible,” recent international legal cases and commentary argue this bar is high.
With expert scientists and substantial resources, Australia cannot claim an exception to lower its ambitions.
In today’s environmental climate, what constitutes “wise use” is increasingly shaped by international expectations.
Wealthy and capable countries are under particular pressure to set high standards in treating wetlands such as Macquarie Harbour as vital green infrastructure—investing in world-best conservation and management, not just short-term economic opportunity.
Where To From Here?
The decision about Macquarie Harbour’s salmon farming future is now a test for the Albanese government’s environmental credentials and international reputation. It’s not just about jobs versus nature, but about whether Australia will meet its commitments—and community expectations—for global leadership on biodiversity and wetland protection. A robust, science-led evaluation of the industry’s impacts is essential, as is policy coherence across state and federal levels.
As we approach June 2025, global attention on Australia’s actions will only intensify, especially with the fate of unique species like the Maugean skate—and the broader health of our wetlands—hanging in the balance.
If Australia wishes to honor its international commitments and safeguard its precious natural assets for future generations, the upcoming decision on Macquarie Harbour’s salmon farming licences cannot ignore the international rule of law, comprising the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
* This article is based on research and analysis from international treaty obligations and recent Australian policy developments.
References
– Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971)
– Bury, C. (2025), Implementing Biodiversity Treaties in Federal States (PhD Thesis, under examination).
– Carmody, E. (2013), The Silence of the Plan: Will the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands be Implemented in the Murray-Darling Basin? (EPLJ).
– Digital Earth Australia, electronic mapping
– International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) 2024 climate change advisory opinion
Carina Bury is a doctoral candidate at the University of Hamburg, researching the challenges of implementing biodiversity treaties in federal states such as Australia and Germany. Co-supervised by Donald Rothwell at the Australian National University (ANU), she has received a competitive scholarship from the German Federal Environmental Foundation and has published in leading law journals.
New publications:
‘Deficient by Design? Why Australia’s Ramsar Convention Implementation Deficits Are Symptomatic of Outdated Treaty Reception Mechanisms‘ Australian Year Book of International Law (October 2024).
‘The Nature Positive (Environment) Bill Places more emphasis on maintaining a flawed treaty implementation model than on enabling Australia’s Ramsar compliance. Here is why.’ ANZSIL Perspective (2024).
‘Lost in Translation? Why Outdated Notions of Normativity Explain Germany’s Failure to Give Effect to the Ramsar Convention of 1971’ Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy (2023).
‘Zur Verknüpfung überkommener Vorstellungen völkerrechtlicher Normativität mit der unterlassenen Übernahme der Ramsar-Konvention von 1971 in den deutschen Rechtsraum‘ Archiv des Völkerrechts (2022)
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