Salmon Farms Under Pressure Amid ‘Catastrophic’ Impact on Dwindling Species: ‘A High Risk of Extinction … in the Near Future’

Salmon farms in Tasmania could face new restrictions in an effort to save another fish that may be just one extreme weather event away from extinction.

What’s happening?

Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, recently wrote to the Tasmanian government to announce that she may reconsider regulations on salmon farming in the state’s Macquarie Harbour, the Guardian reported. The goal is to protect the critically endangered Maugean skate.

This ancient fish — whose population dipped 47% between 2014 and 2021, according to the Guardian — is thought to be found only in this harbor. Threats to the species include the salmon industry, hydropower stations that alter upstream river flows, gillnet fishing, and rising water temperatures due to a warming planet.

Experts from a skate recovery team recommended better regulation and monitoring of lower salmon farming industry loads as one essential step to protect the species.

Why is the Maugean skate decline concerning? 

In September, Australia’s threatened species committee reported that “substantial recent evidence indicates a high risk of extinction for the species in the near future.”

If the skate disappears, it could have cascading effects in the region.