Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to the salmon industry “guaranteeing” the future of salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour. 

This is the same industry that is threatening the habitat of the Maugean skate, and a guarantee of the skate’s future was conveniently absent from the PM’s announcement.

‍In the words of Jess Coughlan from our campaign partner Neighbours of Fish Farming: 

“[This is] a calculated promise to buy Tasmanian votes.” 

While scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) have discovered a recent upward trend in the skate’s population, they warn that there is still a long way to go to ensure its survival long-term.

It’s good news that population levels have increased slightly (although they are still significantly down 2009 levels), but it is political opportunism to use this as evidence that salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour is sustainable or that interventions are working. 

As shark expert Dr Leonardo Guida says, the skate population is surviving on luck: "Millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money are being used to trial oxygen pumping into the harbour’s water, but it’s a long way off proving it can restore oxygen levels. The skate has been nothing short of lucky with the past three years of natural injections of fresh oxygen-rich seawater into the harbour…"

In the wake of the Prime Minister’s announcement, the power of shareholder activism to make change when our governments refuse to take action is more important than ever. Let’s respond by strengthening our calls for big supermarkets Coles and Woolworths to stop sourcing their salmon from the skate’s home. 

While the government plays political football with the skate’s existence, we’ve been making slow progress with the supermarkets. But unless the companies present some satisfying plans soon, SIX will re-submit the resolution (supported by 100+ shareholders) in the next few months. By submitting a resolution early, it gives the supermarket a deadline to act and avoid another record shareholder vote at their AGM.

‍By helping to put even more shareholder power behind the resolution this year, you’ll continue to show Woolworths and Coles that community pressure to save the skate remains strong, and we are not going away!