topic Re: Thousands more fish found dead in Community Spirit

Thousands more fish found dead

davidc4430 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 03:57:38 GMT

Thousands more fish found dead at Menindee as locals fear there will be 'none left'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/fears-of-more-menindee-fish-kill-as-photos-emerge-of-dead-bream/10755004

i'm prolly way off beam here but not so long ago the government was talking about poisoning the carp in the river system.

now suddenly we are seeing massive fish deaths.

could someone have done a test run to see the outcome?

just sayin.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

imastawka — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 04:39:59 GMT

Fish are gasping.

There's no oxygen in the water due to the algae

Those two kills were the result of a blue-green algae bloom which stripped the water of oxygen, suffocating the fish.

Algae blooms can worsen during severe temperature change and rain.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

davidc4430 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:04:52 GMT

i know thats the 'official' story being given for the sudden deaths.

just seems ive not heard of these sorts of instant deaths of thousands of fish before and i have heard of outbreaks of algel blooms before.

just a short time after it was mooted there was a plan to kill all the carp.

i know its a conspiracy theory, but it could be true if someone did put something in the water to kill the fish and its worked way too well.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

icyfroth — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:30:21 GMT

The conspiracy is, water is being hoarded and sold to the highest bidder.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

lyndal1838 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:32:09 GMT

I think you are way off base David.

It is quite common for fish deaths to be linked to algae in the water.....and it has been made far worse by the hot weather conditions.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

imastawka — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:53:08 GMT

Menindee is on the Darling River, which is part of the Murray/Darling Basin.

Irrigated agriculture in the Murray–Darling Basin makes an important contribution to the Australian economy and regional economies. In 2014–15 the Basin accounted for 66 per cent of Australia’s total area irrigated and 40 per cent of the nation’s irrigating agricultural businesses. These businesses undertake a variety of irrigated farm enterprises, including vegetable crops, tree and vine crops, pastures for grazing, hay, rice, cotton, cereals and oilseed crops.

http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/surveys/irrigation

Do you really think someone(Gov't?) is poisoning the water that is used to irrigate our crops?

The carp is actually useful. Have you never heard of a fertiliser called Charlie Carp?

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

go-tazz — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:42:53 GMT

Unfortunatly the government put the dollar before ecoligical sense and gave water right to two big cotton

"farmers" and a lot of smaller ones that have caused massive water losses and mismanagement of the rivers

and lakes in Aus.

Unless water to cotton farms is cut back this will continue and only get worse,(the system can't cope with the

massive amounts of water that's used for cotton crops):

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-07-25/murray-darling-basin-plan-how-much-water-to-grow-cotton/8742234

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

myoclon1cjerk — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 07:35:14 GMT

Chem trails,david,chem trails 😄

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tasfleur — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:27:41 GMT

I'm wondering if it was caused by a whole combination of things, algae, water mismanagement, high temperature weather as well as far too much pollution and or various toxins being poured into the river systems ...

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

davidc4430 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:27:56 GMT

we know whats going on dont we rosie....

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

lyhargr_0 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:36:01 GMT

My money is on the greedy rice/cotton farmers taking far more than their fair share and lowering the water level. Add to that, the lack of rain 'n the searing sun raising the water temp and net result is what we are now seeing

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:40:42 GMT

Certainly seems to be a perfect s*** storm

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tasfleur — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:18:45 GMT

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tezza2844 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:06:58 GMT

@tasfleur wrote:
I'm wondering if it was caused by a whole combination of things, algae, water mismanagement, high temperature weather as well as far too much pollution and or various toxins being poured into the river systems ...

IF there was a reasonable flow of water in the rivers that make up the Murray-Darling system a lot of the problems would simply not occur, even in drought times. Whilst there have been fish kills previously, they have not been of the mammoth scale they have been of recent times. But then again "water management" for irrigation was not a political issue and donation problem then. I can't reasonable see how Governments expect cotton and rice farms (extremely highly dependant on water) to be successful in a dry continent like Australia. Perhaps they would be more practical in more northern areas of Australia where there is more rainfall (eg far northern Queensland and Northern Territory).. Back in the times of Robert Menzies an American (Art Linkletter) received heaps of money ans support to start rice farming at Humpty Doo, the only problem he had was with crocodiles.

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/editorial-something-stinks-in-the-coalition-and-its-not-just-dead-fish,12286

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tezza2844 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:13:21 GMT

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

ambercat16 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:36:44 GMT

@tezza2844 wrote:
Back in the times of Robert Menzies an American (Art Linkletter) received heaps of money ans support to start rice farming at Humpty Doo, the only problem he had was with crocodiles.

..... and magpie geese which just loved the young rice plants😀

Completely agree with you regarding the folly of growing cotton and rice in Australia. The trouble with the northern wet areas of the country is that they (the NT anyway) have no rain at all for several months then a whole year's worth when the monsoon arrives.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tezza2844 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:44:44 GMT

@ambercat16 wrote:
@tezza2844 wrote:
Back in the times of Robert Menzies an American (Art Linkletter) received heaps of money ans support to start rice farming at Humpty Doo, the only problem he had was with crocodiles.

..... and magpie geese which just loved the young rice plants😀

Completely agree with you regarding the folly of growing cotton and rice in Australia. The trouble with the northern wet areas of the country is that they (the NT anyway) have no rain at all for several months then a whole year's worth when the monsoon arrives.

I may be wrong but these conditions are what's required for cotton and rice growing, they don't require year round water supply.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

tezza2844 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:55:03 GMT

@ambercat16 wrote:
@tezza2844 wrote:
Back in the times of Robert Menzies an American (Art Linkletter) received heaps of money ans support to start rice farming at Humpty Doo, the only problem he had was with crocodiles.

..... and magpie geese which just loved the young rice plants😀

Completely agree with you regarding the folly of growing cotton and rice in Australia. The trouble with the northern wet areas of the country is that they (the NT anyway) have no rain at all for several months then a whole year's worth when the monsoon arrives.

The trouble with the northern wet areas of the country is that they (the NT anyway) have no rain at all for several months then a whole year's worth when the monsoon arrives.

.A perennial, cotton grows in tropical and subtropical locations. It does not do well in regions that have prolonged dry or wet spells. Planting occurs in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. The soil temperature must be 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for cotton seeds to successfully germinate.

The majority of rice is grown under irrigated conditions in which the fields are flooded from planting to harvest. Because of this flooding, rice is said to use a lot ofwater, about two and a half times the amount of water needed to grow a crop of wheat or maize.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

chameleon54 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 12:03:38 GMT

@lyhargr_0 wrote:
My money is on the greedy rice/cotton farmers taking far more than their fair share and lowering the water level. Add to that, the lack of rain 'n the searing sun raising the water temp and net result is what we are now seeing

There have been many news reports in the last twelve months of Darling river cotton & rice irrigators stealing large amounts of water that has not been allocated to them. Unfortunately they are also major contributors to the National Party coffers. And having Barny in charge of the water portfolio was a classic example of leaving the fox in charge of the hen house. Frankly its just Crazy stuff and reeks of arrogance and nepotism..

Another common contributor of Blue Green Algae outbreaks is high nutrient levels. This often comes from fertilisers washed downstream when water from irrigated crops leaches back into the main water system.

The farming journals have regular letters to the editor from NSW irrigation farmers complaining that river water is ending up flowing into the sea once it has travelled downstream. They seem to think that all water should be used for irrigation and none allowed to flow through the Murray Mouth. They sure breed em strange in country NSW & Queensland. Must be the heat.

Re: Thousands more fish found dead

lyhargr_0 — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 12:28:16 GMT

There was an entire 4 corners devoted to the "pinching" of water up stream ..... seems nothing has changed ..... $$$ changing hands perhaps?