Should you give up your salmon to save a species? The threat to a Tasmanian town's lifeblood (Watch)

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Published 2024-06-15

Born as a mining port, Strahan is a small, isolated and picturesque community of about 700, perched on the edge of vast estuarine Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s wild, rugged West Coast. The number and fortunes of Strahan’s stoic inhabitants have waxed and waned with those of local industries – mining, logging and, more recently, tourism and aquaculture.

It is in this latter trade – the farming of Atlantic salmon and trout in circular pens in the harbour – that Logan’s dad, Adam, and about 118 others make their living. Salmon farming is at once one of Tasmania’s greatest success stories – a burgeoning, lucrative trade built from scratch – and one of its most divisive environmental flashpoints.

Any day now federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek will make a decision that could curtail or even end salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.

It’s a response to concerns that waste and oxygen depletion linked to the fish farms are driving a globally unique and endangered fish, the Maugean skate, to extinction.

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All Comments (3)

@connell212 3 days ago

I regualrly had salmon with my avo on toast, but gave up it about year ago.
@turbyoulance 7 days ago

I am sure the Skate can be relocated to another area in the world ffs.