Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => News Views & Press Releases => Topic started by: Editor on August 17, 2011, 01:47:07 PM
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Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace 09/08/2011
Tilapia project protects iconic waterway
A new project is underway in Queensland and New South Wales to stop the pest fish tilapia from spreading into the Murray-Darling Basin.
Minister for Fisheries Craig Wallace said education is a big part of protecting local water ways from one of the world's most invasive fish.
"The aim of the project is to educate the community and local government organisations about the threat of tilapia and how to stop them from spreading into the Murray-Darling Basin," Mr Wallace said.
Tilapia is listed above the rabbit, of the top 100 list of most invasive species in the world.
"Once established in a flowing river or creek, tilapia are almost impossible to eradicate so it is important to stop the spread of tilapia now.
"Tilapia impact on native fish numbers by competing for habitat and food, behaving aggressively and disturbing aquatic vegetation, and they can introduce disease and parasites.
Fisheries Queensland pest fish officer Danielle Stewart said the project was kicking off with a tilapia public education campaign that targeted the communities of Dalby and Warwick in Queensland and Brewarrina and Moree in New South Wales.
"Officers will visit these towns in the coming months to present a series of workshops as part of a training package for stakeholders within the communities," he said.
"These workshops will increase public awareness of pest fish by providing the community with the tools needed to help identify and report pest fish, as well as information on available management options."
"The project is being funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and is being developed in collaboration with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries," Ms Stewart said.
Queensland one-day workshops will be held:
Warwick:
Friday 12 August: Coachmann's Inn starting at 9am
Saturday 13 August: Coachmann's Inn starting at 9am
Dalby:
Sunday 14 August: Kobbers Motor Inn starting at 9am
Monday 15 August: Kobbers Motor Inn starting at 9am
For more information on the project, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au (http://www.fisheries.qld.gov.au).
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Am I being cynical but the press release date was 9/8/11 and the meeting s commenced on 12/8 and finished yesterday.
Sounds like its just a pr exercise and they did not really want any public participation.
Did anyone else get any prior notice?
Nothing through the 3 stocking assns that I am involved with.
Anything through local press in Dalby nor Waarwick?
Cheers
Ray
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Am I being cynical but the press release date was 9/8/11 and the meeting s commenced on 12/8 and finished yesterday.
Sounds like its just a pr exercise and they did not really want any public participation.
Did anyone else get any prior notice?
Nothing through the 3 stocking assns that I am involved with.
Anything through local press in Dalby nor Waarwick?
Cheers
Ray
We only saw tihs today after someone sent it through. It's hard to keep up with them all sometimes, then have to filter out the non-related stuff. All DEEDI seems to be fucused on ATM is Hendra Virus.....
fitz..
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DEEDI have been doing trials on techniques for the monitoring and removal of Tilapia for a while now in Kurwongbah, Wivenhoe and Caboolture River as part of this.
There is an acoustic tracking project currently underway in Kurwongbah, 32 fish have been implanted with acoustic tags and a hydrophone array has been set up to monitor them. Andrew Norris from BIRC is going to do a presentation on this at the november PRFMA meeting.S
cheers
Steve.