Ben D
09-08-2014, 09:29 AM
http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/melbourne-shellfish-reefs-to-be-restored
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/shellfish-reefs-to-be-restored-in-port-phillip-bay-20140731-zv9cr.html
http://www.natureaustralia.org.au/news/melbournes-lost-reefs-rediscovered.xml
Oysters are ecosystem engineers that act as "lungs of the estuary" by filtering the water. Alongside improvements to water quality, restoration of long lost oyster reefs is one of the main components of estuarine restoration programs in places like the USA. The Nature Conservancy has been active in the US on oyster reef restoration, and it looks like they have started working with fishos in Port Phillip Bay on the same problems. Good on the TNC , one of the few environmental groups working with Fishos to solve problems rather than trying to lock them out.
Up here near where I live in Pumicestone Passage, we have lost around 96% of oyster habitat over the last 150 years. Given the degraded state of the passage today, the oysters need some help in the form of restocking into the right places in high enough numbers to do some good so they can get a foothold again. Of course such an initiative is in no way a bandaid substitute for tackling the excess nutrient and sediment problems at their source. Both have to be done hand in hand to get the best benefit.
Has anyone got contact details for the Toorbul Fish Stocking Association ? They should be alerted to these articles. Natural reefs would provide the same recreational fishing opportunities as artificial reefs, but with the added bonus of providing additional food for fishes (thus increasing fish numbers, not just attracting them to structure) as well as cleaning and filtering the water at the same time. Return on investment is likely to be much higher and longer lasting than simply restocking the fish.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/shellfish-reefs-to-be-restored-in-port-phillip-bay-20140731-zv9cr.html
http://www.natureaustralia.org.au/news/melbournes-lost-reefs-rediscovered.xml
Oysters are ecosystem engineers that act as "lungs of the estuary" by filtering the water. Alongside improvements to water quality, restoration of long lost oyster reefs is one of the main components of estuarine restoration programs in places like the USA. The Nature Conservancy has been active in the US on oyster reef restoration, and it looks like they have started working with fishos in Port Phillip Bay on the same problems. Good on the TNC , one of the few environmental groups working with Fishos to solve problems rather than trying to lock them out.
Up here near where I live in Pumicestone Passage, we have lost around 96% of oyster habitat over the last 150 years. Given the degraded state of the passage today, the oysters need some help in the form of restocking into the right places in high enough numbers to do some good so they can get a foothold again. Of course such an initiative is in no way a bandaid substitute for tackling the excess nutrient and sediment problems at their source. Both have to be done hand in hand to get the best benefit.
Has anyone got contact details for the Toorbul Fish Stocking Association ? They should be alerted to these articles. Natural reefs would provide the same recreational fishing opportunities as artificial reefs, but with the added bonus of providing additional food for fishes (thus increasing fish numbers, not just attracting them to structure) as well as cleaning and filtering the water at the same time. Return on investment is likely to be much higher and longer lasting than simply restocking the fish.