Devastating disease spreads from fish to other marine species at Gladstone
by: Daniel Knowles, Brian Williams From: The Courier-Mail November 21, 2011 12:00am
TOLL: A near-dead turtle washed up at Gladstone Harbour on Curtis Island. Pic: David Kapernick
THE sickness plaguing a central Queensland fishery has spread to prawns and other species.
There is no end in sight to the crisis which has decimated the fishing industry in the burgeoning port of Gladstone.
The State Government has yet to release the full results of tests into a red parasite found in barramundi and sharks.
Now fishermen say the disease has spread to a range of fish as well as prawns and turtles.
See The Courier-Mail print and iPad editions for case studies of some of those affected
The Courier-Mail has witnessed the crisis first-hand.
A tour of the harbour revealed prawns with pea-sized tumours and deformed fish, a dead turtle as well as several other turtles appearing sick and distressed.
Dredging 'killing off reef'
While the Government has denied claims that dozens of turtles were found dead near Curtis Island last weekend, commercial fishermen believe the harbour is sick and dying.
The commercial operators are negotiating compensation for the loss of their fishing grounds as they are given over to dredging and construction of the LNG plants that are being touted as a massive boost for Queensland's economy.
They say they are not finding enough fish and other seafood of sufficient quality to sell.
Negotiations are dragging on and they fear they may lose their industry altogether.
The fishery reopened last month after a government-ordered shutdown in September, but continued catches of diseased fish resulted in Gladstone's own fish market refusing to take stock.
State Government scientists say fewer fish are being found with red lesions in the harbour but parasite infestation of barramundi may still be high.
Fisheries Queensland habitat and assessment general manager John Robertson said tests were continuing on fish inside and outside the harbour and the banana prawn catch, which was thought to be down 15 per cent.
Environment Department scientists maintain they can find no impact on water quality that would cause fish health issues.
"Certainly we are not seeing the number of lesions that we initially saw in August," Dr Robertson said.
"Things seem to have improved but whether we are getting less fish with parasites, we are still looking."
Fishermen rejected the findings yesterday, saying there was no evidence of a recovery in the harbour which has had diseased fish for five months.
Queensland Seafood Industry Association chairman Michael Gardner said fishers did not accept explanations about diseased barramundi nor about how other species were impacted.
"Harbour water is absolutely filthy from dredging. Fishermen think it's a cover-up," Dr Gardner said.
Fishermen believe the disease is likely related to a 46 million cubic metre dredging program releasing heavy metals and/or acid sulphates and high turbidity levels.
Dr Robertson said one theory was a major outbreak of the monogenean parasite had occurred, as it had in the Hinchinbrook Channel a decade ago, killing about 50 tonne of sea cage barramundi.
Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace told Parliament the scientific focus had shifted from barramundi, to other species, particularly sharks.
A large parasite, different to the flukeworm affecting barramundi, was found on several sharks showing red marks.
Sharks with the parasite also were found in the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton and the Kolan River northwest of Bundaberg.
Dr Gardner dismissed claims the Gladstone Harbour fish catch was higher because the latest data was missing the critical months from July to August.
Sunfish Queensland chairman John Crone said answers were needed because port expansions were proposed along the coast.
"Without answers or mitigating strategies, the same could be repeated statewide," he said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment