Statement on Macquarie Harbour environmental situation

Due to the current developments and the recent press coverage regarding the environmental situation in Macquarie Harbour, we would like to point out the following:

Based on a recent scientific study by IMAS, one serious finding is a population decline of the fish species “Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana)” in Bathurst and Macquarie Harbours (Western Tasmania, Australia) due to various ecological changes.

The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat has taken immediate actions evaluating the factors affecting the decline of the Maugean skate, including further investigation of Macquarie Harbour’s producers under certification regarding their compliance with the requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for aquaculture.

After a thorough investigation, no deviations could be found with regard to the implementation of the IFA requirements for aquaculture on the part of the producers under certification that are active in Macquarie Harbour. Additionally, it was concluded that the specific farms currently operate with a legal license, showing compliance with the local environmental legislation requirements. Nevertheless, the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat will continue to monitor the compliance of each of the referred companies closely, especially with respect to the more stringent environmental requirements in the new version of the IFA standard for aquaculture, version 6, effective from 2024 on.

We are aware that the Tasmanian government, along with relevant stakeholders, is keeping a close eye on the endangered Maugean skate population and actively advocating possible conservation measures, including setting up a National Recovery Team for the Maugean skate which held its first meeting in Hobart on 27 July 2023. The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat welcomes the outcomes of this meeting and will support the strategies that the Recovery Team will develop and implement.

Moreover, the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat would like to point out that its new version of the IFA standard for aquaculture, version 6, places an even higher emphasis than the previous version on reducing aquaculture’s potential ecosystem impact, particularly with regard to monitoring farms’ impact on the biodiversity of the benthic fauna and/or recipient water body sediment and water column. The assurance of the conservation criteria has also been enhanced. Finally, farms from different aquaculture companies sharing the same body of water are required to demonstrate efforts with specific actions to collaborate in relevant aspects affecting their farming operations.

The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat trusts that the collaboration of all interested stakeholders will ensure that Macquarie Harbour is restored to its original state. Macquarie Harbour, like any other delicate ecosystem, shall receive all possible conservation efforts, and this can only be achieved by all involved parties working together.