Moreton Bay Water Quality Fear

[Blackened]

G'day

Looks like what all you guys have been saying all this time.




Moreton Bay water quality fear; call for investigation


Brian Williams
September 10, 2009 12:00am


A FISHERIES biologist has called for an urgent investigation into Moreton Bay water quality after months of complaints about dead marine mammals, heavy metals, mangrove dieback and polluted water.


John Thorogood said reports of up to 20 dolphins, dugong and turtles dying in the bay off Brisbane over the past three weeks, and pollution issues, raised questions about the health of one of Queensland's most significant coastal regions.


RAAF Base Amberley revealed on Monday that heavy metals had been found at its sewage treatment plant in Warrill Creek, which flows into the Bremer and Brisbane rivers and Moreton Bay.


In June, University of Queensland wetlands specialist Norm Duke said pollution may have killed up to 6000ha of mangroves, while in March 62 tonnes of fertiliser and 270 tonnes of oil were spilled off Moreton Island from the Pacific Adventurer.


Last month a diver reported murky green sea conditions off the island and questioned whether this could have been caused by the fertiliser.
But Environment Department chief scientist Col Limpus said the number of dolphin, dugong and turtle deaths was not unusually high.
"While a number of deaths have been reported in a small timeframe, historically there is a peak in strandings from August to October," Dr Limpus said. "This is believed to be related to animals in poor condition not surviving the winter."


In answer to a question on notice by the LNP's Peter Dowling, Sustainability Minister Kate Jones told Parliament that from 2000 to May this year, 2347 turtles, dugong and dolphins had been found dead in the bay.
In the five months to May this year 138 turtles were found dead, four dugong and two dolphins but since then at least five dolphins, two dugong and about 10 turtles had washed up.


Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland president Simon Baltais said the issue was of great concern, especially since the Government had tried to fob it off.


Many green turtles also have papilloma virus, a disease in which often fatal growths form around their mouths, eyes and legs.




Dave

[Sandman]

Again are they going to publish the autopsy results in particular to reasons why the dolphins died as i understand no exsternal injury found eg boat strike ?
That alot of unexplained kill!!!

[chief]

We haven't learnt much since the Exxon Valdez diaster have we? Our so called enviroment and sustainability minister may have to stop visiting schools and start kicking arse. Painting green squares is not the answer to our marine problems. Look at Exxon valdez 250,000 sea birds dead ,300 seals ,2800 otters , 22 killer whales were the imediate loses and 20 years down the track out of 91 sites there around 55 areas still feeling the effects of damage and to makes things worse I'm not even sure if the culprits have paid their fines.You look at the 230,000 litres of oil the Pacific Aventurer spewed onto our pristine beaches and waterways , we all saw the immediate damages and consequences but 620 tonnes of Ammonion Nitrate ???? we were told it was safely contained and would not present a risk. Funny how the first possible effects of this chemical were reports of algae blooms and weed growths from divers. You then have to ask the concidence of the timing of the deaths of marine mammals in the bay area and the unseasonal temperture in july. We had some scorchers so does the equation of rising water tempertures and Ammonion Nitrate cause us any concern??????.Is it a sign of things to come thro our summer months?????? Bloody worry , I read the ammount of respect everyone on this site has for our waterways but do the people who act in our so called best interests have the same respect as us. I can't believe the day before this Pacific Adventurer incident we had the vessel MV Charlotte bulker ploughing through our Great Barrier reef. She was in a Whitsundays Compulsery pilotage zone area without a pilot and outside the designated shipping lanes INSIDE our Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. What did our Govt. do slap them on the wrist?????I recently had my river to Mud experience crushed while I tried to fish a river wharf. I had 3 hours of total harrasment and was left feeling like a crimminal even tho I had stuck to the authorities requirements on distance from the wharf.I had never seen the amount of trouble they had gone to but I stood my ground. Funny you know when you feel something isn't quiet right??? I took a few pics of the old ship that had become so precious to the manager and security . Mainly to show the distance I was from the wharf for my own records . I really don't know how the shipping industry works but I googled the ships name and up came sure enough the same ship and its past history. Because of numerous breakdowns and Hull deterioration this ship was recorded as Sold for scrap and dismantled in 1999 but here it is was in our brisbane port in 2009 .10 years later and still passing thro our oceans and bay. Is there something I just don't understand or does the powers to be just let this crap happen. I also understand there has been 2 more chemical spills on the brisbane wharves since the pacific adventurer incident but they were quickly controlled or were they???????????????

[PinHead]

the EPA is an inept and ineffectual waste of money. Regardless of any one off situations such as oil spills have a look at the annual waterways report..not too many go forwards..either stagnant or declining. The EPA should be working conctantly and feverishly on these areas and then possible no need for green zones.

The environmental actions of this Govt are by talk only..their actions are minimal and useless.

[Sandman]

I recently had my river to Mud experience crushed while I tried to fish a river wharf. I had 3 hours of total harrasment and was left feeling like a crimminal even tho I had stuck to the authorities requirements on distance from the wharf.I had never seen the amount of trouble they had gone to but I stood my ground. Funny you know when you feel something isn't quiet right??? I took a few pics of the old ship that had become so precious to the manager and security . Mainly to show the distance I was from the wharf for my own records . I really don't know how the shipping industry works but I googled the ships name and up came sure enough the same ship and its past history. Because of numerous breakdowns and Hull deterioration this ship was recorded as Sold for scrap and dismantled in 1999 but here it is was in our brisbane port in 2009 .10 years later and still passing thro our oceans and bay. Is there something I just don't understand or does the powers to be just let this crap happen. I also understand there has been 2 more chemical spills on the brisbane wharves since the pacific adventurer incident but they were quickly controlled or were they???????????????

Thats something hey, yep no point in green zones when the rest of industry spews toxins into the river systems or allowed to pass through the green zones in a ship previously listed for scrap metal!!

[PinHead]

but hang on..todays paper..airport link project..some sulphate in the soil..poisonous ot fish..and where have they started..right next to the open canal at Kedron brook..well whoopiedoo for our wonderful EPA

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...0-3102,00.html

[oldboot]

I find it interesting that they seem to be keen on "monitoring water quality"..... but they only measure rudimentary factors, such as disolved oxygen & turbidity...... and it requires an "alliance" of some sort to do this.


Ask why they dont publish tests for heavy metals, or pesticides.
Likewise I don't see tests published on toxins fish flesh or in sediments ( apart from the port dredgings incident).


Last year there was a major sewage spill into one of the small northside creeks........that was not in the media.

The EPA seems to keep its mouth shut about many things.

I am sure that the government sees the EPA as great value for money......To start with the name ( a gebuine TLA) contains three out of three buzz words........two of those being current top shelf buzz words.........they dont come better than "protection" and "environmental"........and an "agency" has to be more educated, pro active and hard nosed than a "department"..........and it isnt even original......they lifted it straight out of the US

An the method of operation is great. and low cost.........get big chunks of the environment and keep everybody out........that way you dont have to do much because no one can go in and see the weeds and the damage done by ferral pests.

The EPA has barely enough staff to keep the bins emptied and the picnic areas mowed........so what hope have they of enforcing green zones 24/7 or doing any serious environmental research work.

but the public think the government is "protecting the environment".
Think of all those cute little koalas and green frogs.

cheers

[castlemaine]

There has been numerous Government Dept water quality studies in the North and South Johnstone River for fear of nutrients causing algae blooms on the Barrier Reef, yet a more precious area like Moreton Bay gets very little attention.
Hope Anna has a great time on Masterchef, cooking a Moreton Bay snapper, perhaps?

[Sandman]

There has been numerous Government Dept water quality studies in the North and South Johnstone River for fear of nutrients causing algae blooms on the Barrier Reef, yet a more precious area like Moreton Bay gets very little attention.
Hope Anna has a great time on Masterchef, cooking a Moreton Bay snapper, perhaps?

Love your comment regarding Anna's cook off wish there was a fisher amoungst the chefs to lay that one on the table , i can see it now " so anna i presume its bassa " perhaps some mmm what's left ??? Beef or maybe swine of pig served up with some flying fox broth . that is a joke promotion my ass get back and do some work i dont vote to see you on a reality show.

[chief]

I feel no matter where we fish , its our duty to keep an eye on our area and look after it . No one knows it better than us because we use it . To add a little balance I have complained to the EPA on a variety of occurances and I was taken back to actually see independant bodies there at latter dates taking water samples and following up on the complaints. One particular complaint was on a drain running into the river.I was lucky enough to be there when they were testing and give them some information. This shows how a simple testing can give a miss reading. Just from local knowledge I know this drain is mainly active on a run out tide . Call it sceptical but this drain does not work on a run in because the discolouration of water is visable to public areas. Run out it travels past industry is is less visable to the public so their run in testing would do nothing but give a false indication on concentrations in the water. I suppose all we can do is write letters, send Emails and generally Keep at it.

[Jeremy87]

Again are they going to publish the autopsy results in particular to reasons why the dolphins died as i understand no exsternal injury found eg boat strike ?
That alot of unexplained kill!!!

No necropsy was conducted on the dolphins recently found washed up. The carcasses sat washed up on the beach for a few days before the council notified the EPA and they had probably been out at sea for a while before that. What I know is that all of the animals where calves or juveniles. 1st born calves have about a 50% mortality rate. It is entirely possible that winds or currents coincidently happened to wash a series of unrelated deaths up on the same beach.

[Jeremy87]

If anyone is genuinely interested in the break down of higher marine vertebrate deaths then pm me their email and i'll send you some scientific journal articles.

[Sandman]

If anyone is genuinely interested in the break down of higher marine vertebrate deaths then pm me their email and i'll send you some scientific journal articles.

Appreciate your feedback J87 , will forward you my email i for one am curious to see some results.
Mick

[Jeremy87]

G'day

In answer to a question on notice by the LNP's Peter Dowling, Sustainability Minister Kate Jones told Parliament that from 2000 to May this year, 2347 turtles, dugong and dolphins had been found dead in the bay.
In the five months to May this year 138 turtles were found dead, four dugong and two dolphins but since then at least five dolphins, two dugong and about 10 turtles had washed up.

Dave

Hmm what a misleading statement. How it should actually read is that over the last 8 months the number of marine mammals and reptiles found washed up in moreton bay is almost exactly the same as the average over the last 9 years.

[fanplastico]

One particular complaint was on a drain running into the river.I was lucky enough to be there when they were testing and give them some information. This shows how a simple testing can give a miss reading. Just from local knowledge I know this drain is mainly active on a run out tide.

Shows how incompetent they are if they are testing on the run-in, or maybe they do it on purpose to get good results. "Yeah mate, no problems here let's go have a cup of tea & create some more green squares."

It's hard not to be cynical when you are so often proved correct.

Plastico