The Australia Institute will present evidence to the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies.

Endangered Maugean skate are a species of recognised world heritage value. It is known as the dinosaur fish because of its direct lineage to the Gondwana era and is the only known brackish water skate in the world.

One-third of Macquarie Harbour, the skate’s only home, forms part of Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The Australia Institute requests a World Heritage Centre mission to visit the area in the second half of 2025 to examine the impact of marine farming operations in Macquarie Harbour on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Salmon aquaculture in Tasmania has never been subject to appropriate impact assessment under Australian law.

The letter also reiterates the imminent risk of extinction, that ongoing reduced oxygen levels in the water are the key threat, and that this is due to increased fish farming. This was reconfirmed recently by the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water in documents released in January 2025.

“ In April 2024, UNESCO wrote to the Australian Government about these concerns. However, despite repeated requests, the Australian Government has refused to publish its response,” said Eloise Carr, Director, The Australia Institute Tasmania.

“A Freedom of Information Act request has also been refused with no evidence provided for the grounds of the refusal.

“What could the Australian Government possibly have to say to the World Heritage Centre that they can’t say to Australians? The likely extinction of an entire species – a species of recognised world heritage value – is a matter of public interest.

“Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention include to ‘keep the public broadly informed of the dangers threatening this heritage and of the activities carried on in pursuance of this Convention’.”

“Despite attempts by the foreign-owned salmon industry and some politicians to mislead Tasmanians, salmon farming is the key threat to the skate and Macquarie Harbour. The federal environment department has again confirmed recently that the science is sound. It has reiterated the risk of extinction, that ongoing reduced oxygen levels in the water are the key threat, and that this is due to increased fish farming.,” said Jess Coughlan, Campaigner, Neighbours of Fish Farms.

“Tasmanians are sick and tired of this foreign-owned industry ruining their precious waterways. They don’t even pay their fair share of tax. Thousands of locals have demonstrated this summer, turning up to protests and meetings around the state in areas proposed for salmon expansion – there’s another public meeting about it in Burnie this Sunday,” said Cass Wright, President, NWTAS for Clean Oceans.

“The Australian Government, facing an election soon, are doing all they can to close this issue down. We won’t be silenced about this and other problems arising from of out-of-control salmon farming,” said Dr Ian Sale, Secretary, Friends of the Bays.

“The Australian government continues to show shocking disregard to the potential extinction of the Maugean Skate and the health of our marine ecosystems. They continue to put the profits of huge multinational companies, with shocking environmental records above the survival of a species and the trust of the Australian public,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine Campaigner, Bob Brown Foundation.

“A living dinosaur is on the absolute brink of extinction, with its fate in the hands of leaders elected by the Australian public – a public that has a right to know how its irreplaceable natural values are going to be protected. The world is watching,” said Dr Leonardo Guida, shark scientist at the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

“The Australian Government’s inaction not only threatens the ancient Maugean skate and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – it also threatens the Tasmanian brand and those businesses and jobs reliant on it,” said Kelly Roebuck, Vice Chair, Environment Tasmania.

“The Business Alliance for the Maugean Skate has made it clear to the Federal Environment Minister that allowing the potential extinction of the ‘Thylacine of the sea’ could have devastating impacts.  Tasmanians especially deserve to know how the Government is responding.”