Today, Minister Plibersek has announced the successful hatching of a Maugean Skate egg in what was dubbed a “world first.”

Industrial salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour have pushed the Maugean Skate to the edge of extinction in their natural habitat, forcing a last-minute captive breeding program.

The announcement comes as a decision to revoke a 2012 approval for salmon farming, due to its catastrophic impact on the Maugean Skate, sits on Minister Plibersek’s desk.

“The only ‘world first’ that Minister Plibersek should be concerned about is that a shark or ray has been driven to extinction in the wild due to salmon aquaculture. That’s the ‘world first’ that Australia will be known for, if the minister allows that to occur,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic and Marine campaigner at Bob Brown Foundation.

“The only reason that a Maugean Skate egg is even hatching in captivity is because both the Australian and Tasmanian Governments have allowed huge, industrialised salmon farms to destroy the skate’s only known habitat, pushing the species to the brink of extinction.”

“The minister says that the battle to save the Maugean Skate is by no means won. Well, she could end the struggle right now by listening to her own department’s advice that salmon farming has a catastrophic impact on the Maugean Skate and should have been removed from the harbour last summer.”

“The minister can, and should, revoke the appalling 2012 decision to allow salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour, a decision that the minister knows full well was a bad one. The science is telling us that fish farms must be removed from Macquarie Harbour. It’s been over 200 days since our foundation and others initiated a review into the destructive industry under the EPBC Act. It’s time for the Environment Minister to fulfil her obligation to get fish farms out of Macquarie Harbour,” said Alistair Allan.