Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for September 21, 2005

‘Red Poles’ Also Costs Lots

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Louis was perhaps somewhat baffled by my recent post on salinity. A reader of this weblog who lives closer to the issue sent in this comment from ‘The Ringer’, Download file. It perhaps provides an additional perspective.

The Ringer suggests the random red splotches on that map are just as controversial and costly to tax payers as the National Gallery’s Blue Poles.

And all this reminds me of the ‘National Land & Water Resources Audit Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000’ which appears to provide detailed statistics on the extent and magnitude of our salinity problem. But on careful analysis it is evident that the document always presents a prediction – even when data is presented for 1998. The entire document is concerned with ‘hazard’ and ‘high risk’ without providing a single statistic indicating the actual measured extent of dryland salinity.

And then there is the ‘National Land and Water Resources Audit Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000’ which is also meant to provide salinity information. However, without presenting a single trend line for any water quality indicator, the report purports to provide, “the first overview of Australia’s declining surface water quality with salinity, nutrients and turbidity issues revealed across most of the intensively used basins”.

Good News for Four Dolphins

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The NOAA Fisheries Service and the Marine Life Aquarium of Gulfport, Miss., working with a number of other partners, rescued the last four of the eight trained bottlenose dolphins that were swept out of an aquarium tank torn apart by the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina on August 29. Normally held in captivity, the dolphins don’t have the necessary skills to survive on their own. They have survived various injuries and predators and have stayed together since the storm. … read more here http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2510.htm .

And isn’t this a beautiful picture, http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/images/katrina-dolphin-rescue-09-2005.jpg .

Minister Likes His Tuna

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The Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell has decided not to include the southern bluefin tuna on the threatened species list, according to the news at ABC Online.

The report states that the Minister made the decision on the basis it would not be good for tuna to be listed as threatened despite a recommendation by the Government’s scientific committee to make tuna fishing illegal and that only around 3 per cent of the stocks that existed in 1960 remain. (I would like to see this data – my understanding was that while stocks are low they are not this low.)

Democrats’ environment spokesperson, Senator Andrew Bartlett,has commented, “To just say that it will be detrimental to the survival of the species listed, I think is extraordinary and is a contempt of the law as it stands”.

What I don’t get is how the Great Barrier Reef coral trout fishery that was sustainable gets more and more restrictions placed on it, while the southern tuna fishery which is apparently under pressure is left to operate.

In the case of tuna the Minister has stated, “The future of the industry for communities like Port Lincoln are crucial”. What about coastal Queensland fishing communities?

I have previously commented that southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) is classified as overfished by AFFA. The fishery is shared with Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea and New Zealand.

The total global catch peaked in 1961 at 81,605 tonnes and was then in general decline for three decades. Since 1990 the total catch has ranged from between 13,231 tonnes (1994) to 19,588 tonnes (1999). Stock assessments suggest that the parental biomass is low but stable and unlikely to recover to target levels unless all countries agree to abide by national allocations as determined by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. Australia operates within its allocation, Japan has not agreed to operate within its allocation, and Indonesia does not recognise the Commission.

Maybe the solution is for the Australian government to put pressure on Indonesia and Japan. So why doesn’t Minister Campbell put some efforts in here – rather than jumping up and down over whaling when Minke whales populations (the species the Japanese and Noreweigans want to harvest) are not under threat.

In summary, as I see it, coral trout and minke whales can be sustainably harvested but the Minister opposes whaling and is putting coral trout fishers out of business. The Minister acknowledges problems with the southern bluefin tuna fishery but will do nothing.