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jaybee
27-08-2003, 04:04 PM
Courier Mail News
Brendan O'Malley 26 aug 03

INDUSTRIAL-scale fish farming has been an environmental disaster around the world and should not be trialled in Moreton Bay, a British marine scientist warned yesterday.

Don Staniford, in Brisbane for an aquaculture conference, said sea-based farms had several flaws.

He said all farms, including a kingfish and snapper farm proposed by Sun Aqua near Moreton Island, faced problems with fish escapes, disease, chemicals and unsustainable use of fish feed.

Such farms also treated the ocean like a toilet, using it to flush away faeces and food.

"Modern mariculture is a world removed from traditional aquaculture – it's like comparing industrial farming techniques with subsistence farming," Mr Staniford said.

"What we have done in the last 20 or 30 years is farm fish which are at the top of the food chain.

"All our land-based farm animals are herbivores. In the sea we have chosen to farm the top carnivores. It's like raising tigers or lions for meat instead of cows."

Sun Aqua director Julian Amos yesterday dismissed Mr Staniford as a headline-grabbing eco-terrorist with little understanding of the industry.

He said fish waste would not be detectable more than 100m from the company's sea cages, disease would be controlled with good management and steel mesh would stop fish escapes. "We are not aware of Mr Staniford having published a single scientific paper on aquaculture that was subject to peer review," Dr Amos said.

"His experience is limited to salmon farms in the European environment and he has no experience in Australia where the regulatory and licensing conditions are totally different."

Lucky_Phill
27-08-2003, 04:19 PM
All very well JB, but what about Mondays Courier Mail, and Dr McPhee's suppose'd independent views on the subject. ( page 11, Perspectives ).

This was my reply to the Editor of the Courier today.
You'll have to read the article from the Courier to get the jist, but you may be able to pick it up from my reply.

Fishcake or just plain Fishy !

I refer to the article in 'Perspectives' Monday 25th August 2003, by Tor Hundloe and Daryl McPhee.

The article reads like an independent view put forward by a Professor and a Dr from the University of Queensland. This is far from the truth and moreso could even be construed as advertising or at least misleading.

The article preports to a sea cage proposal in Moreton Bay ( no doubt this is the Sunaqua proposal ) and extolls the virtues of this and goes on to dispute other evidentual claims. What the article does NOT say is that the Initial Advice Statement for Sunaqua was done by WBM Oceanics Australia, and that the author of that report was Dr Daryl McPhee.

And who are WBM Oceanics Australia ? Well, they are Engineering and Environmental Consultants and have this to say in the promotion of their company. " WBM Oceanics Australia's team of experts are renown for their ability to design and develop total water quality plans which meet the demands of our clients and the needs of our environment."

Professor Hundloe and Dr McPhee work in the same department at the University of Queensland. Dr McPhee is also the Scientific Advisor for the QSIA ( Queensland Seafood Industry Association ), which is the Queensland's commercial fishermans organisation.

Sunaqua proposes to put sea cages in Moreton Bay, pays WBM to present favourable report, DR McPhee writes report, adverse publicity surrounds proposal, Dr McPhee supports sea cage proposal in Courier Mail " perspectives " under the guise of independent Marine Ecologist and Lecturer in Environmental Management at UQ.

Does something smell fishy to you ?

Cheers Phill

jaybee
27-08-2003, 04:28 PM
you lost me ere phil I didnt read the report in the courier mail re:Dr McPhee
i beleive the story i put up is about a mr Don Staniford who is totally opposed to sea cages, however i can see where you are coming from. sunaqua is a business enterprise and gets to do things different when it comes to eis, being just that a business, and all business has deals done dirt cheap, how else would they survive. i will send you an e-mail.
cheers
joe.

Lucky_Phill
27-08-2003, 04:48 PM
Yes JB, but the article you posted was written by a ' Mr' rather than someone with a PHD> which doesn't mean they are any smarter !

ALL studies and reports were done in " COLD WATER " environments. NO report has been done on the temp that will be in place in Moreton Bay. THAT temp will allow Bacteria to breeb, which does not happen in the colder waters of NSW, SA & England etc.

Further, has these smartalecs ever considered that Snapper and Kingies cannot regulate their body tempreture, that's why the move up and down the water collumn and travell with the currents.

Can't do that in a cage !

Phillie ( Dr, Mr, PHd in Painting Things ) ;) ;D

Kerry
27-08-2003, 05:21 PM
"His experience is limited to salmon farms in the European environment and he has no experience in Australia where the regulatory and licensing conditions are totally different."

So wonder how much experience this Mr Julian Amos has with his types of proposed fish in the Moreton Bay environment. Did I hear None :-X

Anyway for someone who was a director of Tasmanian Hydro (1999/2000) and also the founder of a business management consultancy specialising in negotiating skills and dispute resolution as well as some ministerial positions and not forgetting that PhD in Botany (is Botany anything to do with fishies ;D) as a change in career direction now plans to feed his fish in Moreton bay for export to Japan, South East Asia and the USA.

;) Why don't they feed their own fish.

Cheers, Kerry.