Maugean Skates Released After Two Years in Captivity

Mackenzie Heard wrote this article.

The topic is about endangered and protected species.

It was published on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 5:29 pm.

Two Maugean skates were released back into Macquarie Harbour after more than two years in captivity.

Here is a short summary:

Two Maugean skates were released from captivity into Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast.

The skates were taken from the harbour in 2023 to protect them from environmental disasters and have been part of a research program.

What happens next?

The release will help researchers learn how to introduce captive-born skates into the harbour in the future.

Two Maugean skates were released back into the wild on Tasmania's west coast after more than two years in captivity.

A male and female skate were taken from Macquarie Harbour in December 2023 by a team of researchers.

The female skate laid about 430 eggs, helping to produce 80 hatchlings for the research program.

Researchers and representatives from Tasmania's Aboriginal community released the pair of skates into the harbour in April.

The female skate produced about 80 hatchlings for the captive program.

Professor Jayson Semmens said the animals contributed a lot and it was time for them to live out their lives in the harbour.

The learnings from the skates are incredible, said Professor Semmens.

The skates learned to hunt crabs and survived in lower oxygen levels.

There were concerns about how the skates would cope after more than two years in captivity.

Scientists face challenges keeping the endangered Maugean skate species alive.

Dr Bailee Woolley said the first consideration was whether the skates would cope with lower oxygen levels in Macquarie Harbour.

The skates were kept at 100 per cent oxygen in captivity, which is not what they would experience in the harbour.

The researchers gradually reduced the oxygen levels in the tank waters to prepare the skates.

The second consideration was the skate's diet.

The Maugean skates have been part of the research and captive management program since 2023.

In captivity, the skates were fed a variety of food to keep them healthy.

In the wild, the skates mainly eat native crabs.

The researchers had to train the skates to hunt live crabs again.

The skates learned to hunt live crabs after some training.

The release provides a starting point for introducing captive-born skates into the wild.

The lessons learned will help inform how to introduce other skates into the harbour.

It may be more complex to introduce skates born in captivity.

The released skates spent six or seven years in the harbour before being captured.

The other skates in captivity have never had to hunt for live prey.

The researchers have established a protocol for introducing skates into the wild.

The female Maugean skate laid more than 400 eggs for the research program.

What's next for the program?

The Maugean skate was in the news in 2023 when environmental groups lobbied to stop salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.

The skate population in the harbour decreased by nearly 50 per cent between 2014 and 2021.

The federal government changed the law to allow salmon farming in the harbour.

The salmon industry and government are funding a program to restore oxygen levels in the harbour.

The captive management program is another government-funded effort to protect the skate.

The focus has shifted to determining how to get the most out of the captive population.

Macquarie Harbour is the only place in the world where Maugean skates are found in the wild.

Professor Semmens said researchers need to understand the genetics of the skates in captivity.

There are various ways to have a captive population, said Professor Semmens.

The researchers could breed the skates, collect eggs from the wild, or head-start the animals.

They won't breed the skates until they understand their genetics.

If they breed the skates, they need to know the genetics of the parents and the offspring.

Dr Woodley said releasing the skates was a poignant experience.

He hopes the team will have a better understanding of the program's direction by the end of the year.

Releasing the skates was an incredible experience, said Dr Woodley.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 5:29 pm.

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