Endangered fish native to TAS dying in alarming numbers

ABC NEWS (Australia)

There's been a setback to efforts to save the endangered Maugean Skate, with half the adult Skate collected for a captive breeding program dying. While scientists search for the cause of the deaths, environment groups are reiterating their calls to stop salmon farming in the Skate's home harbour.

Transcript

00:00 The Morgian skate is only found in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast.

00:07 The state and federal governments are funding a captive breeding program in an effort to

00:12 save the endangered species.

00:15 In December, four adults and 50 eggs were taken to the Institute for Marine and Antarctic

00:20 Science in Taroona.

00:22 Two adults adapted well.

00:24 The other two, we don't really know what's happened.

00:26 One struggled right from the get-go and another died very suddenly.

00:30 So we're investigating that very, very thoroughly.

00:33 The number of Morgian skate in Macquarie Harbour halved in just seven years.

00:39 Salmon farming and altered flows from dams put the ecosystem under pressure and extinction

00:45 is a real threat.

00:47 Scientists expected a 12% mortality rate in the captive breeding program.

00:51 The deaths of half the adults has left them puzzled.

00:54 It's really important that we use this as a learning tool.

00:58 There will be setbacks along the way, but we need to learn from those.

01:02 The success of the program is important for the west coast, especially Strawn, where salmon

01:07 farms are a major employer.

01:09 We know sharks and rays are not animals that have regularly been bred.

01:14 They're not easy to do.

01:16 If the program struggles, it would only add to the calls to de-stock the farms.

01:21 I was never relying on captive breeding to be a saviour for the species.

01:24 In almost everything of these processes, it's a suite of things.

01:29 The salmon industry is funding a trial to inject oxygenated water into the depths of

01:34 the harbour, but environmental groups say removing the farms altogether is the only

01:38 way to ensure the skate's survival.

01:40 Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is reconsidering their licences.

01:45 Every bit of research counts and while the mortality statistics to date, yes, are concerning,

01:53 but we're learning all the time.

01:55 This is about ensuring that we learn.

01:57 That's what research and development's about.

01:59 A setback in the race to ensure an ancient and unique species survives.

02:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended