TILAPIA SCREENS.

It is not very often, or at least one does not hear of too many, when the community and Government work together and actually achieve something. However, in this instance, it has happened. A combined effort between Queensland Fisheries Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, SunWater Corporation, Tarong Energy, and the local community fish stocking groups of Boondooma, Gordonbrook, and Bjelke-Petersen, has been successful. With co-operation, and a willingness to curb a further environmental dilemma, mechanical screens have been installed to prevent the further spread of tilapia, (a noxious fish specie) to other parts of the Burnett River catchment.

Back in 2000, a routine electrofishing survey conducted by Queensland Fisheries Service, discovered the Mozambique mouth breeder tilapia in Boondooma Dam. Throughout the following year, many tilapia were captured by recreational anglers. This of course substantiated that tilapia were well and truly established in the dam. Where they came from and how they got there, no one knows.

In an attempt to limit the spread of tilapia out of Boondooma, Queensland Fisheries Service arranged a committee to determine measures of control. The committee included representatives from all the before mentioned organizations. It soon became very obvious that any spread downstream, when Boondooma overflowed, was not possible to prevent, but upstream via the Tarong pipeline could be. Tarong Power Station extracts water from Boondooma and discharges excess water under licence into another sub-catchment. It was considered likely that tilapia would traverse the pipeline, and infiltrate the discharge catchment. Thus contaminating another recreational fishery at Bjelke-Petersen Dam. An investigation into the installation of a screen mechanism was undertaken. It was a long drawn out process, but eventually agreement was reached to install screens. Tarong Energy provided the funding (in the vicinity of $1M) and SunWater undertook the installation.

The screens have now been operational for quite sometime now, and regular monitoring by QFS staff has indicated no sign of tilapia passing through the screens, and also of no evidence in Bjelke-Petersen Dam.

Acknowledgement should be recorded where there is a willingness to accept environmental responsibilities. Tarong Energy needs to be recognized and commended for the attitude it took in this role. There is no doubt in my mind that if Tarong Energy had not been prepared to uphold it's environmental standards, preventative measures would not have been implemented.

From the recreational freshwater fishing community, accolades to Tarong Energy.