Mr MITCHELL - 2001-07-04
The minister’s department, back in 1999, successfully cleared an aquatic pest in Darwin’s harbour, that is the black striped mussel. Can the minister tell the House how the ongoing monitoring program is going in the harbour?
ANSWER
That is a good question. The ongoing monitoring is going well, as a matter of fact. On a monthly basis we dive various areas around Darwin harbour and in the marinas. We have monitoring posts that we actually pull out of the water and have a look at.
Yesterday in Question Time, my colleague the Minister for Industries and Business, spoke about the visits of naval vessels to Darwin. One of those very recent visits was that of the USS O’Brien, a heavy destroyer, that in fact was diverted to Darwin because it was having mechanical problems. In fact, it was having some difficulty with its heat exchangers which, anyone with any knowledge of marine engines would know, would severely hamper the ability for that vessel, or any vessel, to operate.
That heavy destroyer came into port and tied up in Darwin on about 29 June, I understand. They contracted Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering to remove those heat exchangers and repair them as necessary. They were substantial units, about 4 m long, comprising of about 360 separate and individual pipes. Upon opening those heat exchangers, the staff of Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering noticed what appeared to be a bivalve mollusc that had heavily infested those heat exchangers.
Given the publicity that surrounded the black striped mussel incursion and the education program that has been going on, especially with the marine industry since then, those staff had the good sense to immediately contact my aquatic pest management team at Fisheries and alert them to the fact that they were looking at an invasion or a highly invasive animal. They also alerted the US Navy of the fact that it was not a mechanical problem as such with the heat exchangers, that it was in fact a problem with the mussels.
My Fisheries people went down and treated the said offending parts, and as a result, the US Navy is now alert to the fact that if they are going to steam and tie up in foreign and Asian waters these animals are there and they should be aware of them. That vessel, I understand, sailed this morning, once again under full steam and fully repaired. As I said, the important part of the story is that the industry in Darwin is aware of the threat that such animals can be.
We have not entirely identified the mussel at the moment. The Museums and Art Galleries’ Dr Whelan identified it as belonging to the genus Xenostrobus, and we are having further taxonomic work done in Western Australia. However, it is not the black striped mussel but again another, what appears to be, highly invasive mollusc of similar nature.
As I said, it is important that our message is getting through, that people at the waterfront in the maritime industry immediately recognised the problem and immediately alerted the appropriate officials. We will now increase our monitoring around the area at Stokes Hill Wharf where the USS O’Brien was berthed to ensure that this animal has not escaped. We would be fairly confident that it has not, as it was only there for a matter of hours before the internal workings of it was flushed with simple detergent. Being a former builder, Mr Speaker, you would know the multiple uses to which BP Comprox can be put. Once again, we found another use for BP Comprox in that it kills mussels. Mr Speaker ...
Dr Toyne: Cane toads?
Mr PALMER: Anything, anything it touches, BP Comprox kills.
As I said, the important lesson is that the community is aware and is alert to these potentially invasive pests and Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering and their staff should be congratulated on their work and their immediate response to the problem.
ANSWER
That is a good question. The ongoing monitoring is going well, as a matter of fact. On a monthly basis we dive various areas around Darwin harbour and in the marinas. We have monitoring posts that we actually pull out of the water and have a look at.
Yesterday in Question Time, my colleague the Minister for Industries and Business, spoke about the visits of naval vessels to Darwin. One of those very recent visits was that of the USS O’Brien, a heavy destroyer, that in fact was diverted to Darwin because it was having mechanical problems. In fact, it was having some difficulty with its heat exchangers which, anyone with any knowledge of marine engines would know, would severely hamper the ability for that vessel, or any vessel, to operate.
That heavy destroyer came into port and tied up in Darwin on about 29 June, I understand. They contracted Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering to remove those heat exchangers and repair them as necessary. They were substantial units, about 4 m long, comprising of about 360 separate and individual pipes. Upon opening those heat exchangers, the staff of Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering noticed what appeared to be a bivalve mollusc that had heavily infested those heat exchangers.
Given the publicity that surrounded the black striped mussel incursion and the education program that has been going on, especially with the marine industry since then, those staff had the good sense to immediately contact my aquatic pest management team at Fisheries and alert them to the fact that they were looking at an invasion or a highly invasive animal. They also alerted the US Navy of the fact that it was not a mechanical problem as such with the heat exchangers, that it was in fact a problem with the mussels.
My Fisheries people went down and treated the said offending parts, and as a result, the US Navy is now alert to the fact that if they are going to steam and tie up in foreign and Asian waters these animals are there and they should be aware of them. That vessel, I understand, sailed this morning, once again under full steam and fully repaired. As I said, the important part of the story is that the industry in Darwin is aware of the threat that such animals can be.
We have not entirely identified the mussel at the moment. The Museums and Art Galleries’ Dr Whelan identified it as belonging to the genus Xenostrobus, and we are having further taxonomic work done in Western Australia. However, it is not the black striped mussel but again another, what appears to be, highly invasive mollusc of similar nature.
As I said, it is important that our message is getting through, that people at the waterfront in the maritime industry immediately recognised the problem and immediately alerted the appropriate officials. We will now increase our monitoring around the area at Stokes Hill Wharf where the USS O’Brien was berthed to ensure that this animal has not escaped. We would be fairly confident that it has not, as it was only there for a matter of hours before the internal workings of it was flushed with simple detergent. Being a former builder, Mr Speaker, you would know the multiple uses to which BP Comprox can be put. Once again, we found another use for BP Comprox in that it kills mussels. Mr Speaker ...
Dr Toyne: Cane toads?
Mr PALMER: Anything, anything it touches, BP Comprox kills.
As I said, the important lesson is that the community is aware and is alert to these potentially invasive pests and Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering and their staff should be congratulated on their work and their immediate response to the problem.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016