Australian study finds that seismic surveys kill scallops
The University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and Curtin University’s Centre for Marine Science and Technology has investigated the effects of seismic survey acoustics on adult rock lobsters and scallops. Seismic surveys are used to produce detailed images of local geology to determine the location and size of possible oil and gas reservoirs. […]
Why is the East Australian Current Behaving so Badly?
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a flow of water that is formed from the South Equatorial Current crossing the Coral Sea and reaching the eastern coast of Australia off Queensland. As the South Equatorial Current hits the Australian coast it divides forming the southward flow of the EAC. The EAC is the largest ocean current close to the shores of […]
Marine Mammal Report Released
All primary production has environmental impacts and most have some impact on native mammal populations. On land, farmers can apply for permits to destroy kangaroos while no rules exist for vehicle road kill. However, in the marine environment the rules are much tougher. All marine mammals are afforded protection under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity […]
Changes to the AFMA Commission
The Assistant Minister, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, has welcomed Ms Renata Brooks (middle) to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) Commission for a three year appointment until 30 June 2019. Commissioners Ian Cartwright [bottom left], Professor Keith Sainsbury [top right] and Richard Stevens [right] have also been re-appointed until 30 June 2019, following the […]
PRESS RELEASE: Independent Report Finds South East Fish Stocks in Great Shape
4 October 2016. For immediate release. Each year the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) release a report on the stock status of all fish stocks managed by the Australian Government. The 2016 report was released on 30 September and shows sustained excellence in fisheries management by the Commonwealth Government. For […]
Recommendations for Marine Park zoning released
Independent reports from the Expert Scientific Panel and Bioregional Advisory Panels for zoning within the Commonwealth marine protected area network have been released by the Minister for the Environment and Energy, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences the zoning as proclaimed in 2012 would have […]
Fin Fingers?
Contemporary understanding was that an ancient group of fishes called jawless fishes (which still exist today) evolved into five different groups of fishes these being; placoderms (now extinct), spiny sharks (also extinct), fin-ray fishes (modern fishes), cartilaginous fishes (sharks and rays) and lobe-fin fishes. One group, the lobe-ray fishes evolved into tetrapods that became the land animals like […]
Productivity Commission Release Draft Report
The Productivity Commission (PC) is the Australian Government’s review and advisory body on policy, regulation, social and environmental issues. Its role is to recommend policies in the long-term interest of the community. The PC has recently released its draft report on marine fisheries and aquaculture. Appointed by the Federal Treasurer, the enquiry aimed to find economic efficiencies, […]
Postie Bike Caught by Trawler
Jack Parkhill from the Miranda Bay couldn’t believe his eyes when they hauled their seine net and instead of flathead found a Postie Bike. The bike was caught in 100m of water 50 miles east of Lakes Entrance. We think the bike is a Honda CT90 Trail 90 which was manufactured between 1966 and 1979 […]
Eating fish . . .it’s not a guilty pleasure
Preliminary estimates in the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016 report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) show that people are eating more than twice as much fish as they did in the 1960s. The average world per capita apparent fish consumption was 9.9 kg in the 1960s and preliminary estimates indicate it will […]