Dugong health project in Queensland’s Moreton Bay

 government, research, threatened species, waterways/wetlands
Jun 132014
 

orginal story by Russell Varley, ABC News

A marine researcher on Queensland’s Gold Coast says conditions for dugongs in Moreton Bay have improved after the environment was badly affected by Brisbane’s 2011 floods.

A dugong feeding on seagrass in Moreton Bay.

A dugong feeding on seagrass in Moreton Bay.

Sea World on the Gold Coast, the University of Queensland, and the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium are checking dugong health in a project that started seven years ago.

Up to 20 dugongs will be captured to carry out the health assessment, with Sea World welcoming a federal grant of $250,000 for whale and dolphin research. Continue reading »

Aquaculture challenges from climate change

 Australian native freshwater species, fisheries, government, research
Jun 092014
 

ABC NewsOriginal story at ABC News

The CSIRO has told a world aquaculture conference in Adelaide the industry already is facing challenges from climate change.
Barramundi - Rising water temperatures are a challenge for fish farming.

Barramundi – Rising water temperatures are a challenge for fish farming.

The fast-growing industry generates more than $1 billion annually for the Australian economy and CSIRO research scientist Alistair Hobday says aquaculture operators have been making a strong impression in the international marketplace.

“I think aquaculture operators in Australia are very sophisticated, they grow high-value products that go to international markets as well as our domestic markets and I think they’re well set up for coping with these changes,” he said.

But Dr Hobday says aquaculture operators will need to find ways to adapt to rising temperatures.

“We’ve seen cases around Australia where warming waters that have been unusually warm have led to declines in salmon production, have led to declining oxygen in tuna pens,” he said.

The CSIRO says temperatures have risen by one degree Celsius in the past century in Australia, but by more than two degrees in the south-east and south-west of the nation. Continue reading »

Outrage over car park plans for wetland

 community, environment, government, threatened species, waterways/wetlands, wildlife
Jun 072014
 

Original story by Damien Larkins and Russell Varley, ABC Gold Coast

Racehorse trainers and conservationists are angry at plans to fill in a wetland area near the Gold Coast Turf Club.
The wetland is home to a nesting black swan and dozens of other bird species. Photo: Damien Larkins

The wetland is home to a nesting black swan and dozens of other bird species. Photo: Damien Larkins

Trainers received an email on Thursday afternoon that work was going to start the next morning, as preparations continue for the Gold Coast Show to move to the Turf Club.

The email says the 2.75 hectare swamp area will be used for parking at the show and large race days but otherwise will be free for trainers to walk their horses the rest of the time. Continue reading »

Hunt for exotic pest turtles in Toowoomba waterways

 government, pest species
Jun 042014
 

News release from Biosecurity Queensland

Biosecurity Queensland and Toowoomba Regional Council have commenced a hunt for exotic pest turtles to protect local fauna, following Australia’s first discovery of a Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Ocadia sinensis).
Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Ocadia sinensis), San Diego Zoo. Photo: Howard Cheng/Wikimedia Commons

Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Ocadia sinensis), San Diego Zoo. Photo: Howard Cheng/Wikimedia Commons

The turtle was suspected of being dumped in Toowoomba’s Bicentennial Waterbird Habitat. 

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister John McVeigh said a Chinese stripe-necked turtle plus nine non-native turtles were recently found during a recent fauna assessment. Continue reading »

The latest Murray-Darling plan could leave farmers high and dry

 community, environment, government, research, waterways/wetlands
Jun 042014
 

Original story by David Adamson and Adam James Loch, University of South Australia at The Conversation

The federal government’s approach for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has shifted again, and now favours water-saving infrastructure over purchasing water rights. But is it the right move?
Spending on water-saving infrastructure could expose Murray-Darling farmers to debt and drought. Photo: Michelle Bartsch/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Spending on water-saving infrastructure could expose Murray-Darling farmers to debt and drought. Photo: Michelle Bartsch/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

The new scheme proposes to cut the amount of water bought back from farmers by 200 billion litres — from 1,500 billion litres down to 1,300 billion litres. Continue reading »

Florida App to Detect Feral Lionfish

 community, fisheries, government, pest species, research, waterways/wetlands
Jun 022014
 

Original story by Thomas Carannante, ScienceWorld Report

The presence of the invasive lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida has prompted the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to take action. They’ve developed an app to control the nonstop growth of the lionfish population.
The presence of the invasive lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida has prompted the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to take action. They’ve developed an app to control the nonstop growth of the lionfish population. Photo : NOAA's National Ocean Service

The presence of the invasive lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida has prompted the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to take action. They’ve developed an app to control the nonstop growth of the lionfish population. Photo : NOAA’s National Ocean Service

The lionfish possesses up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins that can deliver venom. It’s naturally defensive, and utilizes its camouflage and fast reflexes to capture prey. They can even harm humans and cause nausea and breathing difficulties with their venomous sting. The lionfish is native to reefs and rocky crevices, and they’ve made their way to Florida’s Atlantic coast 25 years ago. Continue reading »

BCC Pest Fishing Stats

 Australian native freshwater species, Club News, community, education, Field Trips, government, pest species
Jun 022014
 

If you didn’t make it along to the BCC Pest Fish Education Event you missed a fantastic morning out. The water might have been too cool for the Tilapia to bite but there were lots of other fish being reeled in. We were all impressed with the variety of native fish in the lake despite invasions from African Tilapia, American Gambusia and North Queensland Barred Grunter. There might have been a few fish that went back without being tallied but we did our best to count everything that came in – checkout the stats below. The barbless hooks provided by BCC ensured fish were able to be returned to the water in good condition. I still haven’t found out who managed to land gambusia while line-fishing…

BCC Pest Fishing Day at Forest Lake. Photo: Leo Lee

BCC Pest Fishing Day at Forest Lake. Photo: Leo Lee

Continue reading »

Diseased fish back in Gladstone Harbour

 community, fisheries, government, waterways/wetlands
May 252014
 

Original story by , The Chronicle

Gladstone Harbour. Photo: David Sparkes

Gladstone Harbour. Photo: David Sparkes

DISEASED fish are again being pulled from the waters of Gladstone Harbour, almost two and a half years after the harbour was closed amid a contamination scare.

But while one fisherman has pulled in a load of fish he believed was diseased, wholesalers and authorities in the region have not reported a wider trend to date.

A disease outbreak in 2011 coincided with a major dredging project underway by Gladstone Ports Corporation, the first stage of which was completed last year.

That controversial project is currently the subject of a class action in Brisbane courts, with numerous Gladstone fishers and crabbers seeking compensation for lost grounds. Continue reading »

Marine reserves saved coral reefs from Queensland floods

 community, fisheries, government, research, waterways/wetlands
May 232014
 

Original story by Andrew Olds, Griffith University; David Rissik, Griffith University; Kylie Pitt, Griffith University; Paul Maxwell, Griffith University; Rod Connolly, Griffith University, and Russ Babcock, CSIRO at The Conversation

Marine reserves are a hot topic in Australia, with federal and state governments debating whether to allow recreational fishers to take fish from within their boundaries. But new research demonstrates that reserves can have a real benefit for marine ecosystems — by protecting coral reefs from floods.
Floodwater plumes, like this one in Moreton Bay, do less damage to reefs that are in marine reserves. Photo: Healthy Waterways

Floodwater plumes, like this one in Moreton Bay, do less damage to reefs that are in marine reserves. Photo: Healthy Waterways

We enjoy fishing; but we also appreciate that marine reserves have many positives. Yes, they restrict fishing in certain areas, but they have been shown to increase the numbers of catchable fish outside reserves.

Our study shows that reserves can also improve the resilience of the habitats that fish rely on. Without them, there would be fewer fish for everyone. Continue reading »

Mangrove lovers tour Tingalpa Creek

 community, government, research, waterways/wetlands
May 222014
 

Original story by Judith Kerr, Bayside Bulletin

MUD, mossies and the threat of rain did not deter a band of nature lovers taking to Tingalpa Creek for a day inspecting life in the mangroves.
Healthy Waterways connect to your creek week- Tim Roe from the Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre skippers a boat full of people along Tingalpa Creek, Thorneside. Photo: Chris McCormack

Healthy Waterways connect to your creek week- Tim Roe from the Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre skippers a boat full of people along Tingalpa Creek, Thorneside. Photo: Chris McCormack

Wildlife Preservation Society organised the information tour as part of Connect to Your Creek Week, which started on Monday, May 19. Continue reading »

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