QLD: Marine deaths spark pollution concerns

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2009
QLD: Marine deaths spark pollution concerns

BRISBANE, Aug 23 AAP - A peak wildlife body is hoping tests on four sick turtles will
provide answers as to why three bottlenose dolphins and a turtle died in southeast Queensland's
Moreton Bay.

On three consecutive days last week dead marine animals were found in the bay.

An adult dolphin carcass washed up at Victoria Point, that of a small adult was found
at Ormiston and a calf was found dead at the Port of Brisbane.

On Sunday, four turtles were found in "seriously poor shape" and another was dead.

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland president Simon Baltais says Moreton Bay
has had a recent outbreak of algae blooms and there are concerns stormwater drains may
be poisoning the water.

"We don't have any proof, but a sudden spike in dead and very sick animals in large
numbers in a very short space of time means something is going wrong," Mr Baltais told
AAP on Sunday.

"Tests on the four live ones (turtles) may tell us what is happening."

While some people have pointed the finger at an oil and container spill that released
62 tonnes of fertiliser into the bay earlier this year, Mr Baltais says he believes the
dolphin deaths are indicative of a much wider problem.

"There is a worry out there that things are going backwards. We are seeing mangroves
die off, more seagrass damage, blue-green algal blooms and now we have dolphin deaths.

Things aren't looking real good," Mr Baltais said.

The cargo ship Pacific Adventurer spilled more than 200,000 litres of oil and lost
31 containers of ammonium nitrate overboard in the bay in March.

"If you look at modelling for the oil spill and those containers, most of it has diluted
fairly quickly.

"I think what we are seeking are the symptoms of a bigger problem, which is the degradation
of Moreton Bay because of population growth."

He said the government needed to invest in reducing stormwater runoff into the bay,
which was worsening as the southeast population grew.

AAP dac/ash/apm

KEYWORD: DOLPHINS WRAP

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