Australia Proposes Bill to Shield $1.3B Salmon Industry, Stirring Environmental Debate

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Australia's government introduces legislation today that could weaken environmental protections to shield Tasmania's $1.3 billion salmon industry from legal threats.

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PM Anthony Albanese backs the bill to protect 5,000 jobs in Macquarie Harbour, where salmon farming threatens the endangered Maugean skate

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The controversial legislation, likely to pass with Coalition support, may limit the Environment Minister's power to review harmful operations affecting threatened species.

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Conservation groups warn industrial salmon farming and the Maugean skate cannot coexist, with some calling the bill a "pro-extinction" measure.

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Twelve protesters were reportedly detained at Parliament House after three glued themselves to a stairwell chanting "Australia's nature laws are under attack."

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The Biodiversity Council cautions the bill "jeopardizes a crucial safeguard" by removing ministerial power to review determinations when evidence of harm emerges.

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Tasmania's salmon industry has struggled this year with over a million fish dying from disease and the RSPCA pulling accreditation from Huon Aquaculture.

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Recent estimates suggest Maugean skate numbers are closer to 4,000 rather than 120, but experts warn one climatic event could be "catastrophic" for the species.

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