'Extinction salmon': Australian senator pulls out dead fish in parliament. Here's why

On Wednesday (Mar 26), Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young pulled out a dead, headless salmon in the parliament. Her action was in protest against the farming laws that promote salmon farming in the world heritage area of Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour. 

This move by the government would put the already endangered Maugean skate in further trouble. As Young wielded the dead fish, she was heard saying, "On the eve of an election, have you sold out your environmental credentials for a rotten, stinking extinction salmon?"

Watch video here:

An Australian senator pulled out a large, dead fish in Parliament on Wednesday to protest the government's proposed laws that would safeguard controversial salmon farms in a heritage-listed inlet in the state of Tasmania.#elections #australia #salmon #parliament pic.twitter.com/B3zDJnCc8x

— WION (@WIONews) March 26, 2025

And instantanously, senate president Sue Lines was seen asking the Greens senator to put the salmon away, she said, "It is my role to attempt to keep order in this place, Senator Hanson-Young, it's a prop, and please remove it from the chamber."

The issue has seen many in disagreement with the government's move. Actor Leonardo Dicaprio has also been actively voicing his opinion and pleading support from the followers on social media. In a post, he wrote, "This week the Australian government will decide the fate of Macquarie Harbour and has an opportunity to shut down destructive industrial non-native salmon farms, protecting the Maugean Skate. This shallow estuary off the Tasmanian coast is one of the most important places in the world—now designated as a #KeyBiodiversityArea - which means it’s essential for the planet’s overall health and the persistence of biodiversity."

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"Help save the Maugean Skate and prevent the extinction of this unique species and protect this wilderness from destruction," he added.

It was in 2012, when the government approved the plan of the salmon farms, that the population of Maugean skate has suffered heavily. Only around 1,000 are left in Macquarie Harbour, and now the commercialising laws that promise more employment will adversely affect the environment, which will also lead to the extinction of the marine creature.