MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“An unprecedented number of fish with red spots, lesions and parasites, as well as dead dugongs and turtles, have been found this year.

Fishermen and conservationists blame the state of the marine life on dredging to widen Gladstone Harbour to accommodate carrier ships servicing the booming liquefied natural gas and coal seam gas industries.

But the Gladstone Port Corporation does not believe the dredging is causing the disease in fish, and authorities say last year’s wet summer may be a factor in the poor health of the harbour.

Water testing shows a number of sites within the harbour exceeded national guidelines for aluminium, copper and chromium. Experts say the levels pose a minimal risk to marine life; however, the Queensland Government has appointed an independent scientific panel to conduct more research.

View a gallery of photos of diseased marine life found in Gladstone waters, interspersed with quotes from local fishermen and stakeholders.” Read more.

Far North’s green sea turtles too hungry to breed – “Seagrass meadows from Mission Beach south to Townsville were devastated by cyclone Yasi in February and in the following months, reports of dead and sick turtles were highlighted right up the coast. Nine months after the monster storm, traditional turtle spots such as Cowley Beach are without nests and Mark Hamann from James Cook University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences said it was because the species failed to fatten up before the breeding season – leaving many with no extra energy for mating. ‘The turtles we are seeing are not in the best condition,’ he said. ‘Their shells have sunken in and in the lead-up to breeding season they would have been very hungry, so I will not be surprised if many traditional nesting spots don’t turn up any turtles this year.'” Read more.