Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

It's one year this week since the federal government rushed through changes to the EPBC Act to exempt the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour from oversight and, in doing so, knowingly hastened the extinction of the Maugean skate. This was an egregious act of environmental vandalism done for the grubby purpose of harvesting votes in the seat of Braddon. And it was done despite the environment department's own expert conservation advice detailing the catastrophic impact of salmon farms on the skate and recommending a significant reduction in stocking.

Moreover, just this month we've also learned from FOI documents that the environment minister ignored the department's recommendation to revoke salmon farming expansion approvals in January last year, months before the government brought those amendments to the EPBC Act to the House.

There are many people in Australia and right around the world who haven't forgotten this and continue to fight for the skate. To that end, I'm pleased to welcome to parliament many who were involved in the documentary Love Letter to the Unseen, which follows youth conservationist Spencer Hitchen on a journey to understand more about the skate. The film will be screened in Canberra this week, and I hope it might provide a fresh perspective from a young Australian which can educate my colleagues and the new environment minister about the need to act now to save the skate for future generations.

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