Hopes for the Maugean skate as oxygenation project at Macquarie Harbour gets federal funding

The future of the Maugean skate is a little clearer after the federal government steps in with funding for a program to help the endangered fish breath easier. Find out how the project works.

Maugean Skate in Macquarie Harbour TAS (Credit Jane Ruckert). Picture: Jane Ruckert

The Maugean skate has been given room to breath as the federal government partners with Tasmanian salmon industry for an oxygenation project at Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast.

The government will give more than $7 million to Salmon Tasmania and the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) for the project.

Salmon Tasmania will get $4.9 million, and IMAS will receive $2.3 million to lead an independent scientific evaluation of the trial to determine how effective oxygen remediation in Macquarie Harbour is to assist with the recovery of the Maugean skate population.

The skate is endemic to Macquarie Harbour and is on the brink of extinction.

The species has been the subject of fierce debate between the salmon industry and environmentalists.

Salmon farming pens in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania. Photo: Eloise Carr

In November, federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the government would review aquaculture operations in Macquarie Harbour.

If the review finds that salmon companies do not have the proper licences to operate in the harbour, all aquaculture activities would have to be paused.

Concerning the oxygenation project, Tasmanian Labor Senator Anne Urquhart said the investment would address an urgent action identified under the updated conservation advice for the Maugean skate.

“We all want to see the Maugean skate protected,” Senator Urquhart said.

“We also want a sustainable salmon industry on the Harbour which supports good, well-paid jobs and makes an important contribution to the local and State economy.

“And to do that, we need to increase the levels of dissolved oxygen in Macquarie Harbour and examine the environmental response to the oxygenation.”

Labor leader Anthony Albanese with Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart. Picture: Toby Zerna

Senator Urquhart said the project aimed to see how feasible and scalable oxygenation in the harbour could be.

“The salmon industry has been clear that improving the health of Macquarie Harbour is in everyone’s interest, and I congratulate them on stepping up to support this important trial.

“It is essential solid science underpins any action to improve water quality and the Macquarie Harbour environment.

“If proved successful, this technology used at scale has the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of oxygen levels in the harbour and the potential conservation of the Maugean skate.”

The project will see an ex-navy barge fitted with an oxygen generator and seawater pumps inject highly-concentrated micro and nano bubbles of oxygen into the water before it is put back into Macquarie Harbour.

IMAS associate professor Jeff Ross said scientists would be carrying out independent assessments on the effectiveness of the oxygenation project.

“This will inform the capacity to offset the oxygen drawdown of individual leases and the total oxygen drawdown of salmonid aquaculture in the harbour. It will also determine the capacity of the oxygenation injection system to target oxygen remediation of target areas and habitats,” he said.

“Ultimately, the trial will be pivotal in understanding the role mechanical oxygenation of bottom and mid waters might play amongst other measures in remediating oxygen levels more broadly across the harbour.”