Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Council Biosecurity staff recently partnered with Hinchinbrook Sportsfishing Club and the Herbert River Catchment Landcare Group to provide information and advice on minimising the spread of the Shire’s tilapia incursion at our recent Tasman Turtle’s Picnic Day.
A live display of a locally caught tilapia, along with a couple of native species, including a sooty grunter and sleepy cod made identification easy for families on the day. Tilapia, are an invasive pest fish that are now in a lot of our waterways in the Hinchinbrook Shire.
These fish breed quickly, compete with native species for food and habitat, and can damage the health of local creeks, wetlands and river systems.
Under Queensland law, tilapia are a restricted noxious fish under the Biosecurity Regulation 2016. That means if you catch a tilapia, you cannot return it to the water, move it to another location, keep it, eat it, give it away, sell it or use it as bait. The legal requirement is to humanely kill the fish immediately and dispose of it away from the waterway. Burial is usually the best option.
This is one of those issues where awareness really matters. If residents, visitors and anglers know the rules, we have a better chance of protecting native fish and preventing further spread through our waterways. If you think you have caught tilapia, the safest approach is to follow Queensland biosecurity advice: bury the fish well away from the water and report sightings where appropriate. Protecting Hinchinbrook’s waterways is everyone’s responsibility.
On a good note, the weather is wonderful, our parks and gardens are looking amazing and we’re about to start coconut de-nutting at the beaches. Speaking of beaches, Forrest Beach BMX track has new Koppers logs replacing the existing one. Ninja Park is up and running at TYTO Parklands and the Rotary Park playground equipment has a new shade shelter.
As a final reminder, don’t forget the harvesting season has started, so remember to stop and look at those train crossings!
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