The actions of a group of people who brazenly dug a trench to open the estuary at Tallows Creek, Byron Bay, have been blamed for the resulting massive fish kill there this week.
The death of thousands of fish, prawns and worms as the estuary waters flowed out to sea through the artificial opening they dug is expected to rival the massive kill there of December 2012.
Authorities are being urged to punish the culprits, one of whom is alleged to have assaulted a local environmentalist who confronted them as they dug the trench by pushing and shoving him as he tried to fill it back in.
Dailan Pugh, a respected longtime campaigner for conservation, told Echonetdaily that when on the afternoon of Saturday, 20 February, he saw two youths aged around 16 to 18 digging a trench using hoes in an attempt to open the estuary.
‘They initially claimed to be doing it in order to surf the wave that would be created by the outflowing water, though I remarked they had no surfboards,’ Mr Pugh said.
‘Later they said they were doing it on behalf of a Suffolk Park land-holder whose property was being flooded, though reverted to their surfing claim when two older men and two women joined them.
‘I tried to tell them how important ICOLLs (Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons) are for fish breeding and the danger of a major fish-kill occurring if they were successful in opening the estuary.
‘They refused my request to stop and objected as I began filling it in.
‘One of the men began to physically assault me, pushing and shoving me repeatedly.
‘Eventually they stopped. I informed the Marine Parks Authority who later completed filling in the trench.’
Mr Pugh said that on Tuesday this week, an older person was seen digging an opening, and later in the evening five-to-six youths were seen digging a deep trench.
‘On Wednesday [yesterday] the estuary opened, resulting in the immediate death of hundreds of fish, prawns and worms.
‘When I visited it on Wednesday afternoon it was evident that thousands of fish (mostly flathead, bream, sand whiting), including a multitude of fingerlings, were in serious trouble, with fish gasping for breath and even wriggling onto the bank in a desperate attempt to get oxygen.’
Mr Pugh said Tallow Creek is an ICOLL, which naturally open infrequently.
‘There are few now left that are allowed to open naturally. Tallow Creek had not opened for a while and so was quite full,’ he said.
‘The problem is apparently due to stratification of the waterbody over long periods, with deeper waters becoming de-oxygenated.
‘If opened inappropriately, without the appropriate inflows and tides, the oxygenated surface waters can be lost causing the fish to suffocate.
‘Because of the massive numbers of fish in trouble, the lack of significant inflows of oxygenated water and the currently low tides, I expect a massive kill by tomorrow.
‘Those responsible for opening the estuary caused this fish-kill and must be brought to account for this environmental crime.
‘They are directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of fish. The Marine Parks Authority must investigate and prosecute these criminals,’ Mr Pugh said.
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