Reports of fish kill on Lake Hume appear greatly exaggerated
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack has cast doubt on a claim from minister for primary industries and water Niall Blair that up to 1800 fish had been killed on Lake Hume.
Mr Blair made the claim at a press conference more than 800km away, at Lake Keepit, which the ABC and The Guardian reported on Tuesday morning, sending social media into a frenzy.
It comes a week after almost a million fish died at Menindee Lakes following an algal bloom.
I didn’t think they could possibly do it, but yes, cotton has been linked to the fish kill at Lake Hume. Lake Hume is east of Albury. Nowhere near any cotton growing regions.
— Sam Heagney (@samheagney) January 15, 2019
This really highlights the extent of the misinformation being purveyed for political gain https://t.co/tTREqxDzlM
RELATED:
Cr Mack said on Tuesday afternoon that he had no reason to believe Mr Blair’s claim.
It appears the minister may have been speaking about 60 dead carp, a pest, which the NSW Department of Primary Industries said it had found near the Bowna Arm boat ramp.
Was out at Bowna this morning. Definitely a few dead fish, but nothing like the Darling. I saw 50-60 on the shore over a 1-2km stretch and as the article says mostly carp #NoLoss
— Brett Sanson (@sanson_brett) January 15, 2019
“I’m not sure where Niall Blair is getting his information,” Cr Mack said.
“Fish kills on Lake Hume are as rare as houseboats.
“I’ve spoken with the water authorities today and they say the water quality on Lake Hume has never been better.
Another mass fish kill, this time on the Murray River at Lake Hume. Our river system is crying out for help. The environment is in collapse. We need urgent action to secure environmental flows to give the River a drink. Cotton, corruption & climate change is making our River sick
— Sarah Hanson-Young💚 (@sarahinthesen8) January 15, 2019
“They’re out there on the water every day, they live and breathe it.”
Shortly after Mr Blair said 1800 fish had been killed, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young took to Twitter: “Another mass fish kill, this time on the Murray River at Lake Hume. Our river system is crying out for help. The environment is in collapse. We need urgent action to secure environmental flows to give the River a drink. Cotton, corruption & climate change is making our River sick”.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries released a statement saying it had located 60 dead carp, a pest in our waterways, near the Bowna Arm boat ramp.
I would want to see photos of this mass fish kill at Lake Hume. Lake is about 35% full and no algal bloom has been reported recently. Cold water from Mitta Mitta River is the major inflow. #auspol
— Andrew Phillips (@phillipsand1) January 15, 2019
The department said the cause had not been identified, "however there are no algal or dissolved oxygen issues noticeable. Fishing mortality is one potential cause".
Paul Humphries, a fish and river ecologist with Charles Sturt University, said algal blooms in the Murray are "usually sourced from Lake Hume".
Given the period of very high temperatures in the region, an algal bloom in the Hume storage "is certainly a major concern," Dr Humphries said.
Abc radio have just announced another massive fish kill at Lake Hume! Bloody cotton grows in the Tallangatta Valley have a lot to answer for🤦♂️ #moremismanagement
— John Bruce (@John_R_Bruce) January 15, 2019
Hume Dam was at 36.53 per cent capacity on Monday, holding 1097.8Gl, at a height of 179.7m. It was 35.8 per cent on Sunday. This time last year the dam was at 66.57 per cent.