Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question on this topic. As she has noted, a three-week temporary fishing banned was imposed in Gladstone harbour and it was lifted on 6 October. The ban was imposed by Fisheries Queensland while tests were conducted to assess reports of an infection outbreak in barramundi and other fish species. Water quality analysis and fish testing have confirmed that fish in Gladstone harbour are not a food safety or human health issue. Health issues reported by commercial fishermen have been investigated. No links were found to the fish disease or to water quality. Water quality testing has shown little change other than seasonal variation in water quality since dredging began.

The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is continuing to ensure that the dredging is undertaken in accordance with the stringent conditions of approval and the approved environment management plans. Contingency measures under the approved plans may include suspension or variation of dredging operations. The latest test results on further marine life samples taken from Gladstone have confirmed a parasitic flatworm as the cause of cloudy eyes in barramundi and found no parasitic, bacterial or fungal pathogens on either species tested so far.