Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Wong representing the environment minister. My question is about to government's zero extinctions pledge. Two weeks ago in Senate estimates, Dr Helene Marsh, the Chair of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, said she'd written to Minister Plibersek with concerns about the endangered Tasmanian maugean skate after new scientific information revealed population levels had halved in the past 10 years and scientists warned the species was one extreme weather event way from extinction. She also said the committee would be meeting within a fortnight, and she would be recommending the species conservation status be uplifted to critically endangered. Can the minister confirm the skate's conservation advice has now been upgraded to critically endangered?