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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Novice on December 05, 2012, 09:48:41 AM

Title: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Novice on December 05, 2012, 09:48:41 AM
I noticed a couple of dead fish yesterday while driving across the Brisbane River at Twin Bridges. This morning I had the camera with me and took these pics of 3 dead lungys near the bridge.

(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff380/Novice-Dave/lungy2.jpg)

(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff380/Novice-Dave/lungy1.jpg)

(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff380/Novice-Dave/lungy.jpg)

Is this the start of another fishkill of the like that hit the fork tailed catfish 11 weeks ago?

Cheers,
Dave.
Title: Re: 3 dead Lungfish at Twin Bridges
Post by: bushwacker on December 05, 2012, 10:11:28 AM
Or banjo playing hicks catching them ?

Not great to see either way
Title: Re: 3 dead Lungfish at Twin Bridges
Post by: joey1247 on December 05, 2012, 02:03:57 PM
O gee i dont like this , they are protected spiecies .if some one has done this they should know better.very dissipionted
Title: Re: 3 dead Lungfish at Twin Bridges
Post by: Novice on December 05, 2012, 03:28:09 PM
Other than the one up on the bank, they appear like they have karked it upstream and have become snagged as they have drifted down the river. Might have to go for a paddle before work tomorrow to suss it out more.
Title: Re: 3 dead Lungfish at Twin Bridges
Post by: Sweetwater on December 05, 2012, 05:27:28 PM
Many thanks to Novice for his monitoring of the river and spreading the info.  :thumb

After being informed of this yesterday I spoke with DAFF to keep them up to speed, then called the EHP fish kill hotline. The response "EHP will respond if there are over 50 dead fish. If it's not more than 50 fish, talk to your local council....."

If there is a problem with the Qld lungfish in the Brisbane River, then 3 fish at one crossing could equate to hundreds over 60km of river. I explained this to the lady at the Dept of Environment & Heritage Protection and mentioned that EHP were not on the ground taking a lead role when 8000+ Fork-Tailed Catfish died recently, AND that this is not just fork-tailed catfish but a protected species.

She took a note of my concern and probably threw it in the bin as she hung up. Noting that the lady on the phone was very personable and quite lovely.....

I said it on another topic recently & I'm afraid I need to say it again here, this is a PISS POOR RESPONSE FROM THE QLD STATE GOVERNMENT. I will be discussing this on two radio stations in Brisbane this week & it won't be kind....


Somerset Regional Council and SEQWater Staff have been notified.




Folks, feel free to share this topic with your contacts to spread the word. The more people who are made aware of it, the more likely there will be some action.
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: joey1247 on December 05, 2012, 07:57:45 PM
was just thinking of another posibility , what if the big eagle attacked them? but wouldn t it have ate them ?
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: aussiebasser on December 05, 2012, 08:12:07 PM
It'd have to be a bloody good eagle to kill a Lungfish without leaving a mark!
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Jason L on December 08, 2012, 10:52:02 PM
It's a shame to see this as they would be spawning at the moment.
Nationally they are listed as "Vunerable" but Qld doesn't recognise them as a threaten species and the only restrictions are those set out nationally in the EP&BC Act (SEQ is the only area in Australia that these fish are found).
I'd say these have been caught and not released with due care.
Hopefully these weren't females as they will take up to twenty years before their first breed.

Good on ya Dave.
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: BillyBass on December 23, 2012, 09:04:50 AM
Do you think the council would actually act on this?  I doubt it..
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Sweetwater on December 23, 2012, 01:49:06 PM
Saw another dead lungfish dumped on the edge next to a dead fork-tailed catfish.... right in front of a forked stick (rod holder). These were at Beaver's Reach, Mid Brisbane River.

I've got to say that if I happen to catch person/s killing lungfish you & your vehicle will NOT be getting out of there in one peice. grrrrrrr

Am half tempted to go on a vendetta to have bait fishing outlawed in rivers where lungfish reside.
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Binder on December 23, 2012, 02:02:28 PM
To be honest in all my years of bait fishing in waters where there are lungies, I have never caught one.

Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Sweetwater on December 23, 2012, 02:13:22 PM
To be honest in all my years of bait fishing in waters where there are lungies, I have never caught one.

In the Brisbane I'd back myself to get one in half an hour on the right bait (not saying what)
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Brad H on December 23, 2012, 10:14:40 PM
Many Many many moons ago when I used to camp and canoe the Brissie river with my family, we used to average a couple a day while staying alongside Northbrook Bridge (now deep under Wivenhoe). They either busted us off or we released them. Amazing fish to look at and hard fighters when hooked.

Shame to see that some either are ignorant or just spiteful when hooking untargeted species (if there is such a thing with bait)

Brad
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Binder on December 24, 2012, 05:25:19 AM
In the Brisbane I'd back myself to get one in half an hour on the right bait (not saying what)


I just assumed they must of been vegetarians.


Does Fisheries recognise them as indigenous to the river? If they dont, they might not be to interested.
Title: Re: Dead Lungfish at Brisbane River
Post by: Jason L on December 24, 2012, 08:37:05 PM
Only three places in the world have lungfish; Africa, South America, and Australia (South East Queensland only in Australia). They are omnivorous (they eat anything, plants or meat).