2016-12-12 General Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 9 - NBRF Annual Report

QUARTERLY REPORT TO COUNCIL – Q1 FY 2017



   approach to remedial actions; there is also a community round table planned to discuss
   issues pertinent to training.


   NBRF Commitment -          $74,212
   Other Commitments -        $125,780
   Total Value -              $200,00
   Lead Partner –             NDLC
   KPI Status -               ˜ Green – meeting expectations



   4.1.5. BRING BACK THE FISH
   Restoring fish abundance.




   The Noosa River and Lakes system and Laguna Bay was once a ‘phenomenally rich”
   marine system, according to Dr. Ruth Thurstan, who undertook a study to determine the
   ‘base line’ of diversity, prevalence and size of species in the system. In the past
   recreational and commercial fishing flourished with many extraordinary catches reported.
   (www.noosa.qld.gov.au, media release 23 Nov 2015)

   The Thurstan study also found that the oyster industry collapsed 80 years ago after up to
   3m oysters a year were taken from the river and lakes. Oyster reefs are an important part of
   a healthy aquatic ecosystem, providing habitat and a rich source of food for fish and other
   marine life. Their disappearance adversely impacted the system.

   Prawns too were once abundant. The Thurstan study found that some 400,000kg of prawns
   were dredged from the system in 1961. By 1969 the reported catch had halved, and in 2014
   it was just 35,00kgs. Prawns are also an important part of a healthy aquatic system; but
   their current abundance is not known and The University of Queensland is initiating a study
   to determine both numbers and the cause of this apparent dramatic decline.


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