Leonardo DiCaprio backs campaign against Tasmanian salmon farms.
Actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio has publicly expressed support for efforts to halt salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, citing concerns over the endangered Maugean skate.
In a social media post this week, DiCaprio said: “This week the Australian Government will decide the fate of Macquarie Harbour and has an opportunity to shut down destructive industrial non-native salmon farms, protecting the Maugean Skate.”
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He described the estuary, located on Tasmania’s west coast, as “one of the most important places in the world” and “essential for the planet’s overall health and the persistence of biodiversity.”
The post coincided with debate in the Australian Senate over a proposed amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. If passed, the bill would prevent retrospective environmental challenges to long-standing aquaculture operations, such as salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
Supporters of the amendment argue it provides certainty for investment in regional industries. Critics say it undermines protections for endangered species.
Australian PM promises to protect salmon farming in Tasmania with new laws
The legislation follows lobbying from both Tasmania’s state government and industry players, and comes after legal pressure from environmental groups triggered a federal review of the original 2012 approval for expanded fish farming in the area.
The Maugean skate, a bottom-dwelling species found only in Macquarie Harbour, has been listed as endangered since 2004. A scientific panel last year recommended listing it as critically endangered, citing a decline in dissolved oxygen levels attributed in part to aquaculture activity.
The bill is expected to pass with support from the opposition Coalition. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government has framed the change as a targeted fix to a legal loophole.
The comments from DiCaprio follow earlier high-profile endorsements of Australian environmental causes, including campaigns to protect the Great Barrier Reef and opposition to fossil fuel developments, as well as a number of high profile interventions in Canada.
