Gladstone Port Dredging Cover-up Exposed

[Gad]

Taken from Fishing World email newsletter

18 Nov 2013

By Fisho staff writers

AN investigative report by Graham Lloyd in The Australian has today revealed that the Gladstone Port Corporation covered up evidence that toxic algal blooms may have contributed to outbreaks of disease in fish, and death of seagrass, dugongs, dolphins and turtles in Gladstone Harbour. (See earlier related stories here and here.)

The Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is a Queensland Government controlled authority in charge of the controversial port expansion and dredging projects in Gladstone Harbour, which are being conducted for Queensland's booming liquified natural gas industry. Lloyd’s article revealed that the GPC had known for over two years about a university report which highlighted an algal bloom and increased sediment from its infrastructure works, but only in recent weeks has it made the reports publicly available.

The GPC still believe that “heavy flooding†was the primary cause of the outbreak of fish disease in a period starting mid/late 2011 and extending into 2012, citing the outcomes of a review of the situation which was conducted in 2012 by a government selected scientific panel. However, the scientific panel was not provided with the just-released 2011 report, which was produced for the GPC by researchers from the Central Queensland University. The university report says harmful algal blooms may have been a contributing factor in the fish disease syndrome.

Independent investigations by fish veterinarian Matt Landos in early 2012 found that the cause of disease in barramundi, sharks, queenfish and other species of fish and shellfish in Gladstone Harbour at that time was highly unlikely to be caused by river flow events that had occurred in the region 12 months earlier. Instead, analysis of samples taken by Dr Landos suggested that other factors, including exposure to sediment, metals and toxic algae, may have been implicated in the disease outbreak. Dr Landos noted that all of these potential causes could be linked to plumes of poor quality turbid water originating from port development works which included Australia's largest ever dredging project.

Satellite pictures taken in July 2011, several months after the river flow events, which were later published in The Courier Mail, clearly show that water in some parts of Gladstone Harbour had returned to its natural winter clarity by that time. In contrast, the area around the port development was markedly turbid, particularly in the vicinity of a rock bund wall.

The GPC has previously received flack for suppressing internal reports that showed a rock bund wall built to retain dredged sediment had leaked badly during mid-late 2011, a period of time when water quality and fish health was at its worst. The satellite photos obtained by Fisho also show dredges working in the area of the bund wall, apparently debunking claims made by GPC in The Australian article that dredging had not commenced by August 2013. The University researcher responsible for the report, Associate Professor Larelle Fabbro, told The Australian it was a condition of her research that she not make any public comment.

Independent veterinarian Matt Landos, said the newly published material was significant and should have been made available to the government selected scientific panel when they were investigating the fish disease outbreak in 2012. “Scientists can only work with the data which is provided to them," Dr Landos observed.

Dr Landos continued, "The full data now seriously contradicts the conclusions of the State and Commonwealth that floods were to blame. Given the serious nature of the new information that is now in the public realm, another independent review of the science around causes of the Gladstone ecosystem crisis seems warrantedâ€.

add on.. below is a link that FW provided but it does not work. if FW sort it out I will post the article up.

See more on these explosive revelations at: http://www.mediaportal.com/0vo483327371or athttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/fish-fears-rise-over-lng-port-dredging/story-e6frg8y6-1226762114628#sthash.JLvbL0oq.dpuf

[Binder]

Matt Landos, independent report,

Sorry fell off my chair at that one!

Rent a greenie.

[Gad]

Matt Landos discusses his new report on fish health in Gladstone Harbour. His report paints a dire picture of fish health in the harbour, in contrast to reports by government departments.

/>http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/videos/matt-landos-gladstone-fish-health-report/16890/

[elops]

Matt Landos, independent report,

Sorry fell off my chair at that one!

Rent a greenie.

I worry about you Andrew, peer reviewed independent report vs paid for tailored report ?

[Gad]

Matt Landos, independent report,

Sorry fell off my chair at that one!

Rent a greenie.

I worry about you Andrew, peer reviewed independent report vs paid for tailored report ?

I was of the belief that 'peer reviewed' meant ok'ed by those with the same agenda, e.g.peer reviewed pro AGW papers, and 'independent' meant they don`t go outside of their like-minded agenda group.

[elops]

Matt Landos, independent report,

Sorry fell off my chair at that one!

Rent a greenie.

I worry about you Andrew, peer reviewed independent report vs paid for tailored report ?

I was of the belief that 'peer reviewed' meant ok'ed by those with the same agenda, e.g.peer reviewed pro AGW papers, and 'independent' meant they don`t go outside of their like-minded agenda group.

Rarely resort to Wiki but here you go.
/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_review#Scholarly_peer_review

Common sense and a basic understanding of the effects of dredging 2 million plus cubic meters of anaerobic sediment replete with its bacteria and the acid sulphate strata creating a turbid low DO low PH marine environment would lead anyone to doubt the official reports thus far without any independent report. That is without who knows what heavy metals and industrial wastes/toxins build up that is there.

[mangajack]

Do you honestly think that the real truth will ever be told publicly?

There are too many factions, too many dollars and too much political sand bagging to ever release an honest assessment that will paint back and black and white as white without a hint of grey.

Most of these research studies are worded to the perception of the writer and what he believes he sees in his research, no matter what coloured glasses he or she wears. Peer reviews simply enforce that perception be it right or wrong.

Go back several hundred years ago and look at the medical journals and research into pnuemonia and it's treatments and see just how flawed peer reviewed research studies can be across the entire fraternity.....until they realise the truth and work for a good result.

[waldo]

It's already one of the biggest coal ports in the world handling billions of dollars a year exports. Then there is exapnsions to handle Gina Reinhards and or Clive Palmers soon to be trained in loads as well :pinch:

Dredging causing turbity :woohoo: really? Nutrient flows from runoffs? Heavy metals in sediment? Hahahha and then some. It's one of those the good of the many out weigh the good of a few animals and pro fishermen things. Once everything settles again most will kind of go back to as normal as you are going to get up that way.