2015-11-10 - P&O Agenda - Item 7, Attach 1 - Historical Ecology of the Noosa Estuary Fisheries

Executive Summary

Humans have been reliant upon marine resources for centuries, but in recent
years concern has grown about the declining health of marine ecosystems. Yet
our ability to judge the extent to which marine ecosystems have been degraded
is impeded due to a lack of long-term data, making it difficult to know what
appropriate management or restoration targets should be. This study aims to
develop an understanding of historical fisheries productivity in the Noosa
Estuary. It aims to inform the Noosa community about ecological changes that
occurred prior to their lifetimes, and to provide insights into the species that
inhabited the Noosa River and their changing abundance over time.


The Noosa region has been populated for centuries by the Kabi Kabi Traditional
Owners, who harvested species such as mullet, pipis and oysters, potentially
trading these resources with inland indigenous populations. When European
settlers arrived in the region, the Kabi Kabi people were the first commercial
fishers, trading or selling oysters and other species to the settlers. Archaeological
and historical sources suggest that rock oysters and other shellfish were highly
abundant throughout the Noosa River and Lakes up until the late 19th century.
Oysters often perform a key role in coastal ecosystems as they provide habitat
upon which other species depend upon for food and shelter.


During the late 19th century, an increasing demand for oysters led to sections of
the river and lakes being privatised and leased to settlers. By the turn of the 20th
century, millions of oysters had been removed from the Noosa system, destined
for consumption in Brisbane and other Australian cities. Despite high levels of
exploitation, the beds continued to operate until the 1920s, after which oyster
leasing was largely discontinued. The decline in oysters was likely to due to a
number of factors, including declining water quality (with links to disease),
overexploitation, reduced market demand and increased competition from New
South Wales and New Zealand suppliers. Today, oyster abundance is much lower
in the Noosa system and any functional role they historically played no longer
exists.


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