Posted by The Queensland Government has set up a task force to investigate fish abnormalities and deaths in the Noosa River on the Sunshine Coast.
An independent fish expert Dr Matt Landos will join staff from the Department of Primary Industries, the Environmental Protection Agency and Queensland Health in a meeting in Brisbane today.
Locals are concerned that agricultural products are to blame for creating two-headed fish larvae at a fish hatchery in the Noosa River, while others are concerned about a possible cancer cluster forming in the region.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin says he hopes the investigation will provide some answers.
“That’s why I’ve set up this independent task force to … look at all the issues, including chemical spray-drift, to see what is causing this,” he said.
Dr Landos says the task force should immediately begin safety tests on farm chemicals because there are some that have never been tested for their safety on fish.
He believes some farm chemicals are to blame.
“We’ve got to be aware that to date there has been no testing of these chemicals to safety on fish larvae,” he said.
“Right throughout their registration process there is no requirement for testing for safety on fish eggs and larvae, and that’s the precise point we’re seeing on these tiny little fish.”
This is why we need to really step up the research & development process to find organic alternatives to all those chemicals we use. In many cases we have no idea how much they’re hurting the environment, because it’s hard to foresee where they’ll end up and what life forms they’re going to be put in contact with.