During a visit to Tasmania, Peter Dutton has said he will "not be stopping salmon farming" at Macquarie Harbour, on the west coast, where the three main salmon producers have operations.
The Threatened Species Scientific Committee is currently assessing whether the skate's listing should be changed from endangered to critically endangered, with a decision due by October next year.A decision on whether to increase the threatened species listing of the Maugean skate, which shares its habitat with salmon-farming operations, won't be made until after next year's federal election.
Ms Plibersek has been contemplating the issue for more than a year, and if she ultimately decided a review was needed, theSalmon farming could be paused in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour to help the endangered Maugean skate, but locals warn it could kill their town."Regional areas will be destroyed because there is just no replacement industry," Mr Dutton said.
In 2019 Petuna Aquaculture gained approval to farm salmon at a lease in Storm Bay, but in 2022 new biosecurity standards were enacted requiring adult and juvenile fish to be separated by at least 4 kilometres.