Mr BONSON - 2001-11-29
Can the minister please inform the House what action has been taken to protect Darwin Harbour from exotic marine pests?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. I wish to inform the House today about the detection of a potentially serious exotic marine pest that was located in Darwin Harbour this week.
Members, of course, would remember the 1999 infestation of the black striped mussel in Cullen Bay and the heap of copper sulphate that was actually tipped into Cullen Bay to try and kill that pest off, at a cost of around $2m. Following that incident, and to minimise the recurrence of such an outbreak, inspection protocols have been put in place for vessels coming into our harbour, into our marine berths, to detect any incursion of any similar molluscs that may come in the future. All vessels apprehended on behalf of the Fisheries Management Authority - illegal fishing vessels that are caught off our coast here - are inspected. Divers go down and check the hulls of these vessels as soon as they get into the Harbour to determine if there are any aquatic pests attached to these hulls.
Earlier this week, on a 25 m suspected illegal entry vessel (SIEV) the fishing boat Karimun Abarli, moored in the quarantine area of Stokes Hill Wharf, has been detected the very insidious Asian green mussel, and these beasts are a hell of a lot bigger than the black striped mussels. These are a couple that were pulled off yesterday and have been biologically looked at. These molluscs have infested this particular vessel. The good news for the House is that the other vessels in that quarantine area have been inspected, and there are no other vessels that have similar molluscs attached to their hulls. Internal inspections, in terms of those engine systems, are taking place at the moment.
I have also been advised by the Primary Industry and Fisheries Department that these molluscs - it is hard to believe, given the size of them - are sexually immature and not ready to breed yet. So, potentially, we have been saved from further growth in terms of the numbers of these pests. DPIF also advised that any potential spread through the harbour will be minimised due to the large tidal flows in the harbour that would keep these beasts away from shore.
We are as confident as we can be, at the moment, that this is an isolated incident. Obviously, this infestation needs to be permanently neutralised. We will be destroying this vessel, I believe, at Mica Beach, as soon as practicably possible. The vessel will have to be burnt and destroyed. It is unable to be lifted by the naval lift here in Darwin and, for obvious reasons. Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering do not want this thing anywhere near their pearling boats. So, this vessel is going to have to be destroyed along with all the other vessels that are moored there, the illegal vessels in Darwin Harbour.
But more than that, officers of my department have gone to Melbourne today, to urge that the Commonwealth government get much more involved in this area. We have asked the Commonwealth government to give greater attention to provide adequate water protection from our marine environments, with particular emphasis on hull fouling and internal sea water systems, and to take whatever steps are necessary to immediately implement a national approach, and funding to ensure, around Australia, that our coastline and our marine environments are protected from the incursion of these sorts of pests. So, it is not good news today, but the department is onto it very quickly. We are going to increase the diving regimes that take place in terms of looking at the hulls of these vessels, and I will be reporting back to the House in the next sittings further in relation to ongoing mitigation plans we are going to put in place to ensure that our marine environment is not endangered by these types of pests in the future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. I wish to inform the House today about the detection of a potentially serious exotic marine pest that was located in Darwin Harbour this week.
Members, of course, would remember the 1999 infestation of the black striped mussel in Cullen Bay and the heap of copper sulphate that was actually tipped into Cullen Bay to try and kill that pest off, at a cost of around $2m. Following that incident, and to minimise the recurrence of such an outbreak, inspection protocols have been put in place for vessels coming into our harbour, into our marine berths, to detect any incursion of any similar molluscs that may come in the future. All vessels apprehended on behalf of the Fisheries Management Authority - illegal fishing vessels that are caught off our coast here - are inspected. Divers go down and check the hulls of these vessels as soon as they get into the Harbour to determine if there are any aquatic pests attached to these hulls.
Earlier this week, on a 25 m suspected illegal entry vessel (SIEV) the fishing boat Karimun Abarli, moored in the quarantine area of Stokes Hill Wharf, has been detected the very insidious Asian green mussel, and these beasts are a hell of a lot bigger than the black striped mussels. These are a couple that were pulled off yesterday and have been biologically looked at. These molluscs have infested this particular vessel. The good news for the House is that the other vessels in that quarantine area have been inspected, and there are no other vessels that have similar molluscs attached to their hulls. Internal inspections, in terms of those engine systems, are taking place at the moment.
I have also been advised by the Primary Industry and Fisheries Department that these molluscs - it is hard to believe, given the size of them - are sexually immature and not ready to breed yet. So, potentially, we have been saved from further growth in terms of the numbers of these pests. DPIF also advised that any potential spread through the harbour will be minimised due to the large tidal flows in the harbour that would keep these beasts away from shore.
We are as confident as we can be, at the moment, that this is an isolated incident. Obviously, this infestation needs to be permanently neutralised. We will be destroying this vessel, I believe, at Mica Beach, as soon as practicably possible. The vessel will have to be burnt and destroyed. It is unable to be lifted by the naval lift here in Darwin and, for obvious reasons. Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering do not want this thing anywhere near their pearling boats. So, this vessel is going to have to be destroyed along with all the other vessels that are moored there, the illegal vessels in Darwin Harbour.
But more than that, officers of my department have gone to Melbourne today, to urge that the Commonwealth government get much more involved in this area. We have asked the Commonwealth government to give greater attention to provide adequate water protection from our marine environments, with particular emphasis on hull fouling and internal sea water systems, and to take whatever steps are necessary to immediately implement a national approach, and funding to ensure, around Australia, that our coastline and our marine environments are protected from the incursion of these sorts of pests. So, it is not good news today, but the department is onto it very quickly. We are going to increase the diving regimes that take place in terms of looking at the hulls of these vessels, and I will be reporting back to the House in the next sittings further in relation to ongoing mitigation plans we are going to put in place to ensure that our marine environment is not endangered by these types of pests in the future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016