Australia: More Dead Marine Life Continues to Wash Ashore On Capricorn Coast Beaches

By Kathryn Greensill – “WHILE the Queensland Government yesterday said it had no plans to extend the Gladstone fishing ban, dead marine life continued to wash up on Capricorn Coast beaches.

Adding to local concerns, Yeppoon’s Daniel Spyve told The Morning Bulletin he threw two fish he caught at Coorooman Creek on the weekend back in the water when he suspected they were unhealthy.

‘We caught two in one crab pot and that was up closer to the mouth of Coorooman Creek,’ Daniel said.

‘All were legal size and we were going to keep them, but then when we had a look at them and two of them had these really fluorescent green eyes and down underneath their eyes where the whites are, they were very milky.’

Daniel said there were also parts of the fish that appeared very red and looked like decaying flesh.

‘They didn’t look like a local cod that we’d caught in the creek before,’ Daniel said.

Daniel’s discovery comes as Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace refuted claims from LNP shadow minister Dr Mark Robinson that warnings from Gladstone and Yeppoon fishermen were initially swept under the carpet.

‘As soon as I was advised there were concerns around conditions affecting some locally-caught fish, I requested a full and urgent briefing from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation,’ Mr Wallace said yesterday.

‘At that meeting on September 15, the department advised me of its decision to immediately close the harbour to fishing.’

Mr Wallace said no consideration was being given to the geographical area of the closure being extended.

The Government is yet to decide whether a three-week ban on fishing – implemented after diseased fish were caught in Gladstone Harbour – will be lifted when it expires on Friday.

Meanwhile, more marine animals have washed up on beaches at the Capricorn Coast with a shark and a turtle discovered at Ritamada Beach at Emu Park on Monday.” Read more.

Fears fish disease spreading off central Queensland – “There is concern a sickness affecting fish in the Gladstone harbour off central Queensland has spread north to the Capricorn Coast. A fishing ban has been imposed in the Gladstone harbour after the discovery of fish with skin lesions and blindness in recent weeks. Tests are yet to determine the cause of the sick fish. Capricorn Conservation Council (CCC) spokesman Michael McCabe says he is worried about reports of dead stingrays with skin rashes found at Yeppoon, north-east of Rockhampton.” Read more.