An endangered fish has had the "final nail" in its coffin driven by the federal government after it gave the green light for ongoing salmon farming in a remote harbour.
That's the view of environmentalists who have vowed to maintain their legal fight against aquaculture in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour.
It was revealed on Thursday Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt had ended a reconsideration of aquaculture approvals in the harbour, based on new national laws.
"(The) decision allows for the continuation of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour," he said.
The reconsideration process was sparked in late 2023 by conservation groups, who argue salmon farming needs to stop to safeguard the endangered Maugean skate.
It is estimated there are 40-120 adult skate in the harbour, the species' only home, with salmon farming and hydro flows among factors contributing to their decline.
Mr Watt spruiked $18.3 million for an artificial pumping program designed to replace oxygen in the water consumed by salmon farming.
The federal government's decision was based on "all relevant information", Mr Watt said.
The decision was possible after law changes removed the minister's ability to reconsider previous decisions if they had been ongoing for at least five years.
Critics argued the laws, passed in March before the May election, were rushed.
Mr Watt's decision on Macquarie Harbour came a week before a Bob Brown Foundation challenge to the laws was set to be heard in the Federal Court.
Foundation campaigner Alistair Allan accused the federal government of driving the final nail in the coffin of the skate.
He said next week's Federal Court action was now dead, but fresh legal action would be launched based on the grounds the law doesn't apply to industrial fish farming in the harbour
"It is a disgrace that a species that was identified by the Albanese government as a priority threatened species in 2022 has been purposely abandoned by 2025," Mr Allan said.
Industry body Salmon Tasmania said the decision provided certainty for the 400-plus workers who depended on aquaculture in the harbour.
There had been a body of new information showing improvements in the harbour's health since 2023, Salmon Tasmania CEO John Whittington said.
A University of Tasmania study published in February found there had been a significant decline in the skate's abundance from 2014-2022, but numbers had risen since.
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson accused the federal government of dodging accountability with the timing of their decision.
"The only reason this decision has been made by the minister now is to scuttle the Federal Court case. The Albanese government had two years to make this decision and didn't," he said.
