ID :
10369
Thu, 06/19/2008 - 18:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/10369
The shortlink copeid
Murray-Darling full of carp: report
Canberra, June 19 (AAP) - Australia's largest river system is dangerously degraded and infested with carp, according to a bleak report card.
Just one of the 23 regions that make up the Murray-Darling basin is in good Murray-Darling full of carp: report. Twenty are in poor or very poor health.
The report card, released on Thursday by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, found exotic carp now make up six kilograms of every 10kg of fish in the river system.
The grim report - the second in as many days pointing to an ecological crisis in the basin - has fuelled calls for emergency action to save the river system.
The federal opposition and the Australian Greens say the basin is fast running out of time.
John Harris, co-author of the commission's report card and senior lecturer at Canberra University's Australian National Biocentre, did not mince words as he unveiled his findings.
"Ecological health is undeniably poor," he said. "It doesn't come as any surprise at all."
The report card found alien fish - carp, goldfish and the pest gambusia - were getting ahead of native species. Native fish were absent from some sites where they were expected to be inhabiting.
Diversity in the bug and larvae world had decreased.
River health was worst in the basin's south. The Murrumbidgee in southern NSW and the Goulburn Valley were rated worst of a bad lot.
The Paroo valley, in northern NSW, was the lone region in the Murray-Darling to be in good health.
"Water resource development" was blamed for the system's poor health, although the drought has not helped.
Opposition water spokesman Greg Hunt said the federal government should cease delays and spend more on conserving water.
Greens water spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said the report card should shock the government into action.
She called for an immediate release of water this winter, and for government water buy-backs to be sped up.
"It is obvious what is needed now is a much more radical approach than the government is currently planning," Senator Siewert said.
Water Minister Penny Wong said the report card was sobering, but the government was taking steps to deal with the problem.
"This audit highlights the serious problems in the Murray-Darling Basin caused by climate change, drought and over-allocation after 11 years of inaction by the previous government," she said. "The Rudd government is taking action to restore the rivers to health, with $3.1 billion committed to buying back water for basin waterways."
Senator Wong said the first $50 million of the fund had already been spent securing 35 billion litres of water - meaning the rivers would get a greater share of water when it rains.
The government has also set aside $5.8 million to fix leaky irrigation systems, and was setting a new cap on water extractions, she said.
Meanwhile, irrigators denied they were to blame for the Murray-Darling's parlous state.
NSW Irrigators' Council chief executive Andrew Gregson said NSW water allocations were at zero or just above - so farmers were not taking much water out of the river.
"The problem hasn't been caused by anyone taking too much water - the problem has been caused by no water being available in the first instance," he said.
Just one of the 23 regions that make up the Murray-Darling basin is in good Murray-Darling full of carp: report. Twenty are in poor or very poor health.
The report card, released on Thursday by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, found exotic carp now make up six kilograms of every 10kg of fish in the river system.
The grim report - the second in as many days pointing to an ecological crisis in the basin - has fuelled calls for emergency action to save the river system.
The federal opposition and the Australian Greens say the basin is fast running out of time.
John Harris, co-author of the commission's report card and senior lecturer at Canberra University's Australian National Biocentre, did not mince words as he unveiled his findings.
"Ecological health is undeniably poor," he said. "It doesn't come as any surprise at all."
The report card found alien fish - carp, goldfish and the pest gambusia - were getting ahead of native species. Native fish were absent from some sites where they were expected to be inhabiting.
Diversity in the bug and larvae world had decreased.
River health was worst in the basin's south. The Murrumbidgee in southern NSW and the Goulburn Valley were rated worst of a bad lot.
The Paroo valley, in northern NSW, was the lone region in the Murray-Darling to be in good health.
"Water resource development" was blamed for the system's poor health, although the drought has not helped.
Opposition water spokesman Greg Hunt said the federal government should cease delays and spend more on conserving water.
Greens water spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said the report card should shock the government into action.
She called for an immediate release of water this winter, and for government water buy-backs to be sped up.
"It is obvious what is needed now is a much more radical approach than the government is currently planning," Senator Siewert said.
Water Minister Penny Wong said the report card was sobering, but the government was taking steps to deal with the problem.
"This audit highlights the serious problems in the Murray-Darling Basin caused by climate change, drought and over-allocation after 11 years of inaction by the previous government," she said. "The Rudd government is taking action to restore the rivers to health, with $3.1 billion committed to buying back water for basin waterways."
Senator Wong said the first $50 million of the fund had already been spent securing 35 billion litres of water - meaning the rivers would get a greater share of water when it rains.
The government has also set aside $5.8 million to fix leaky irrigation systems, and was setting a new cap on water extractions, she said.
Meanwhile, irrigators denied they were to blame for the Murray-Darling's parlous state.
NSW Irrigators' Council chief executive Andrew Gregson said NSW water allocations were at zero or just above - so farmers were not taking much water out of the river.
"The problem hasn't been caused by anyone taking too much water - the problem has been caused by no water being available in the first instance," he said.
