Saw this clip and then thought about all the restaurants that offer live fish and shellfish on the menus – https://youtu.be/y8oyhEnu2Oc
Have you ever wondered if the fish are healthy? I always wonder who looks after the fishes, and ensures they’re safe for human consumption (in terms of chemical residues, and biological safety), and fish health while they’re on hold.
I attended a fantastic presentation by Dr Stephen Beatty last night.
Dr Stephen Beatty is a Senior Research Fellow at Murdoch University, and his work aims to make real impact on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Past and current research includes the impacts of water abstraction, climate change, introduced species, and water quality decline on aquatic ecosystems with a particular focus on fish communities.
Dr Beatty spoke of the importance of riverine and estuarine fishes and crustacea, as being the connectors between the aquatic and terrestrial food webs. He briefed us on the threats to aquatic environments being:
Pollution and habitat alteration (eutrophication, salinisation, land clearing, draining)
Introduced species (mosquito fish, redfin, yabbies, goldfish and carp)
On the topic of introduced/alien species, he says the impacts are difficult to quantify, because we don’t have baseline data on how the aquatic environment was, prior to human influence. And the more altered the environment is, the more likely it is for an introduced species to flourish (much like rabbits). Controlling their abundance is the most viable option. And of the 14 alien species, the most harmful to river ecology is the little mosquito fish (Gambusia). Goldfish, on the other hand, tend to colonise areas that are affected by salinity higher than 3g/L (thus, the lack of freshwater mussels and other native species is not due to displacement by goldfish). He also warns that there would be significant resource investment, and can be a waste of time and money.
He spoke on the practical solutions they’ve had success with, for rehabilitating aquatic ecosystems:
Maintaining complex habitat (protecting and rehabilitating vegetation in the riparian zone, artificial habitats)
Oxygenation programs
Addressing nutrients and salinity
Fair allocation of water
Education (prevent alien species introduction)
Addressing high priority in-stream barriers (incorporate fishways)
Invest in monitoring for pollution and water quality at multiple trophic levels
Novel management approaches underpinned by research.
At the conclusion, I posed this question to the panel, “Are Carp and Goldfish, a cause, or the effect of, environmental degradation? What happens after KHV is released?”
Dr Beatty answered, “I’m very hesitant to point the finger at goldfish as a major ecological impact in its own right in south-western Australia. I don’t think it helps in terms of water quality, in the greater systems they’re in… the virus they’re releasing is specific for carp [including koi]… the one point I’d made to the researchers over east is that if all (80-90%) of koi/carp die, there is going to be a massive clean-up operation. If there is a free niche there, and goldfish occupy a similar niche, will goldfish do better than they currently do now. Anecdotally, over east, goldfish do very well where there is no carp. So research needs to be done on what the ecological impact goldfish will have in the Murray Darling Basin.”
If the release of KHV is a political stunt for freshwater angler votes, I wonder if, when it’s all over and done with, will anglers be happier to catch goldfish instead?
Title: From Salamanderfish to Sawfish: What is lurking in Western Australian inland waterways and how can we help them? Presenter: Dr Stephen Beatty Date: 19 June @ 6pm Location: Kim Beazley
RSVP here
See you there tomorrow if you make it!
—
Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist.
PERTH | MELBOURNE | SYDNEY | TOWNSVILLE | BRIBIE ISLAND.
THE FISH VET – AUSTRALIA.
Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
Web: http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 421 822 383
Mail: PO Box 5164, East Victoria Park, WA 6981, Australia.
A veterinary science degree takes around 5 to 6 years of study, depending on the university.
Australia has 7 universities offering undergraduate veterinary science courses.
These include:
Murdoch University, Perth WA – where Drs Richmond Loh & Alistair Brown attended.
University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW – where Dr Lucie Nedved attended.
University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland.
University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA.
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld.
Once you graduate, you will need to register with the veterinary registration board in any state you will practice in. Registration with the board is your licence to practice veterinary medicine in that state.
Once you have completed this initial degree, you can start post-graduate studies towards specialising in a variety of species or disciplines:
School of Veterinary Medicine, City University of Hong Kong, is proud to announce the world’s newest aquatic veterinary course – a MSc in Aquatic Production and Veterinary Health. This will be delivered jointly with the University of Stirling, beginning in September 2017.
They will have a team of world leaders in their subject areas to teach the various units.
Aquaculture has been the fastest growing animal production sector globally for the past three decades and with Asia producing over 90% of the world’s aquatic products, it is essential that expertise is built up in the region to ensure the production of safe and sustainable products.
There’s the old adage, “Real doctors treat more than one species.”
At The Fish Vet, we coined this, “Real veterinarians treat more than one phylum!”
Diseases can happen to any species.
While most aquaculture is primarily monoculture, diseases happen. And diseases are not specific to any particular species of cultured fish.
At The Fish Vet, our team has diversity of skills and experiences, covering many species.
Our clients’ species include abalone, barramundi, goldfish, koi, prawns and more. Pets, food producers, public aquaria and educational institutions.
This means we have the comparative and competitive advantage.
THE FISH VET – AUSTRALIA
We offer site consults through to laboratory histopathology testing
with locations:
PERTH | MELBOURNE | SYDNEY | TOWNSVILLE | BRIBIE ISLAND.
