Spear fishos enlisted to tackle Spotted Tilapia infestation in Queensland's far north
While the spread of a pest fish in far north Queensland is posing a significant threat to native species, it is giving locals a great excuse to go fishing.
Spotted tilapia were found in the Walsh River, a system which connects to the Gulf of Carpentaria, nearly two months ago and there have been further recent sightings in the Gulf.
The fish are now considered the state’s most problematic aquatic pest species.
The Tablelands community have also been wrestling with a tilapia problem in Lake Barrine for 10 years.
It is unclear how the noxious fish came to be in the popular far north Queensland lake, with only one outlet, but its population has grown significantly due to the tilapia’s ability to breed so quickly and threaten other breeds.
One of the greatest threats to Australia’s native biodiversity
About tilapia:
- Tilapia were first introduced into Australia in the 1970s as an ornamental fish
- Two species are established in Queensland — the Mozambique tilapia and the spotted tilapia
- Tilapia are restricted noxious fish under the Biosecurity Act
- Tilapia have the potential to rapidly outnumber native fish and dominate aquatic communities
Source
ABC News
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