Government environmental decision-making under scrutiny as politics trumps science. A newly released departmental brief reveals Australia's Labor Government was advised to revoke approval for salmon farming operations in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour due to threats to the endangered Maugean Skate species. However, with an election looming, the recommendation was shelved in favor of political and commercial interests. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water concluded that industrial-scale salmon farming operations, now controlled by foreign companies, pose extinction risks through dumping antibiotics, chemicals, and waste into waterways. In March 2025, Parliament passed legislation restricting the Environment Minister's ability to reconsider past decisions, effectively blocking action.
