No fish cages for Moreton Bay

The application by Sun Aqua Pty Ltd to place sea cages in eastern Moreton Bay for a fish farming project has been rejected by the Queensland government.

State government decision

In a media release on 31 August, the Coordinator-General wrote, 'I am not satisfied that the environmental effects of the project, in particular, the discharge of nutrients, can be adequately addressed to the strict standard required and applied to other facilities which discharge into eastern Moreton Bay.

'In accordance with the provisions of sections 35 and 39 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act, I recommend that any application for a development approval for an Environmental Authority for Environmentally Relevant Activity 1 (Aquaculture) for this project must be refused.'

Environmentalists respond

Simon Baltais, spokesperson for Queensland Conservation Council and secretary of WPSQ Bayside Branch, congratulated all those who had been involved in the campaign.

'It's been a long drawn out process and the QCC thanks all those who have been supportive of our efforts - including state bureaucrats, the Brisbane City Council and other environmental groups such as the Moreton Island Protection Group, the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland.'

About the proposal

In 2002 a proposal was put forward by Sun Aqua Pty Ltd to establish a fin fish aquaculture industry in Moreton Bay. A number of sea cages were to be used to intensively breed two species of exotic fish. The cages were to be located in the pristine eastern side of the bay, in sight of the Tangalooma Resort.

WPSQ action

The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, along with organisation such as the Moreton Island Protection Group and the Queensland Conservation Council, opposed the project on the following grounds:

• environmental values at stake
• impact of extra nutrients being added to the water
• impact of fish escapes on local fish populations, and the consequent impact on the Moreton Bay fishing industry
• the fish cages could attract, and entrap, predators, such as dolphins and sharks.

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