Report questions evidence behind salmon farming restrictions in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour.
A new report has cast doubt on the scientific basis used to justify restrictions on salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, raising concerns about the politicisation of endangered species protections and the broader economic impact on the region’s aquaculture industry.
The paper, authored by Professor Emeritus Aynsley Kellow of the University of Tasmania and published by the Institute of Public Affairs, argues that claims linking salmon farms to the possible extinction of the Maugean skate are based on “questionable” and “thin” evidence. The report suggests the species may have been “weaponised” by environmental activists to push for regulatory changes in the sector.
Kellow, a former IPCC expert reviewer and foundation professor of environmental studies at Griffith University, writes that there is “no certainty” the Maugean skate was not already at risk of extinction prior to the introduction of salmon aquaculture in the harbour.
“It is not clear that aquaculture and the skate cannot coexist, and even if salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour were to be prohibited, that would not guarantee the survival of a species with highly limited population numbers and habitat,” Kellow states.
The report, Skating over Thin Evidence: The Weaponisation of Endangered Species Laws in the Tasmanian Salmon Wars, also notes that the Maugean skate has reportedly recovered to population levels not observed in over a decade. It highlights the extinction of the same species in Bathurst Harbour, where there were no significant human impacts or aquaculture activity, as further evidence that factors beyond salmon farming may be at play.
The findings arrive amid growing political tensions within the Australian government, with the future of salmon farming in Tasmania becoming a flashpoint issue. Industry representatives have warned that restrictions in Macquarie Harbour could place hundreds of jobs at risk and inject further uncertainty into operations, particularly as the Albanese government seeks to retain marginal seats in Tasmania.
The report is likely to fuel debate over the role of environmental regulation in aquaculture policy, and how endangered species protections are applied in the context of balancing economic and ecological outcomes.
Read the report HERE.