Qld: Jobs on the line if fish farm approved, say protesters

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Qld: Jobs on the line if fish farm approved, say protesters

By Chris Herde

BRISBANE, Aug 14 AAP - One of Queensland's largest marine parks and hundreds of jobswere at risk if a huge fish farm was established in Moreton Bay, protesters said today.

Aquaculture company Sun Aqua Pty Ltd plans to build the farm on two nautical milesof the eastern section of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

An environmental impact study (EIS) is currently being completed on the project, whichwill be considered by the state and federal governments.

The proposal has come under strong opposition from an unlikely alliance including localcouncils, conservationists, tourist operators and recreation and commercial fishermen.

They fear if the multi-million dollar project is approved it will attract predatorsand pollute pristine waters, harming dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles, visiting whales andother marine creatures.

Hundreds of protesters, calling themselves Groups Against Fish Farms (GAFF), todaytook to the water in a large flotilla to demonstrate against the proposal.

Queensland Conservation Council spokesman Simon Baltais said the fish farm could producean increase in shark numbers and pump tonnes of nutrients into the bay, boosting the likelihoodof disease.

He said this would impact severely on tourism and commercial fishing.

"To put those industries at risk by an industry that only generates a handful of jobsisn't really a smart move for a smart state," Mr Baltais said.

He said there was widespread community concern over the record of other fish farmsaround the world.

"Irrespective of the technology they use at the very minimum ... it's going to generate40 tonnes of nutrients-a-year and at high level, 130 tonnes," Mr Baltais said.

"We've still got toxic algae bloom in the area which indicates the bay probably can'ttake much more and now they want to dump nutrients in the most pristine part."

He warned the public should not put its faith in the EIS, with the process in Queenslandhistorically failing to produce a "community sensitive result".

Mr Baltais said GAFF would continue to lobby politicians and planned protests duringthe rest of the year.

Sun Aqua director Dr Julian Amos has denied there would be any adverse environmentalimpact on the park by farming snapper and yellowtail kingfish.

Current plans would have them penned in four clusters of eight circular cages, witheach cluster being the size of the Gabba stadium.

The project is proposed for an area only 8km from the world famous Tangalooma WildDolphin Resort.

Visitors to the resort on Moreton Island can hand-feed a pod of nine wild dolphins,including a 20-month-old baby called Tangles.

But the resort's general manager Trevor Hassard said scientists have warned the futureof the resort, which attracts more than 220,000 visitors a year, was on the line.

He said there was great concern over the fish farm attracting sharks to the area.

"Sharks eat dolphins and sharks eat people, and if either of these disastrous eventsoccurred, the associated impacts could seriously cloud ... the future of the resort andthe jobs of more than 200 people," Mr Hassard said.

AAP ch/was/bwl

KEYWORD: MORETON (PIX AVAILABLE)