Answer is…
Because they can wing it.
Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{
It’s all too easy to blame carp. But what is the real cause of the degraded condition of Australia’s rivers?
There’s dialogue occuring within the global aquatic veterinary community (WAVMA) about Australia’s planned release (early 2017) of KHV to kill the apparently feral pest carp.
In a blog by the leading scientist, carp are purported to breed like rabbits (https://blog.csiro.au/reclaiming-our-rivers-from-feral-carp/)? That’s inaccurate. Carp, like many other fish species produce eggs by multiples more.
Australia is one of the few countries remaining free from a variety of animal diseases. Is the intentional release of KHV warranted? Are we being led to believe that carp is the cause of destruction of Australian waterways? Or is it perhaps an easy option to point the finger at them?
There’s growing debate among our peers that carp are decimating native fish populations, sometimes contributing up to 90% of the biomass of certain aquatic environments. We cannot argue with facts. But are we making the right interpretations and assumptions from this fact?
I did some quick research on Australian government websites to see what they say is the real problem with our waterways. Here’s what I found.
The information below is taken from: http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-rivers-with-regulated-flows
"The health of Australian rivers is measured against their condition before European settlement…."
"Murray–Darling Basin, have had their flows regulated by humans [] in a massive engineering scheme… these changes in water management have affected the flow and quality of water in the Murray–Darling and salinity is a major issue… has affected the plants and wildlife. In the same period… there was extensive removal of most of the native vegetation… The led to erosion and, along with overgrazing and the building of levee banks, has dramatically affected the flow… and the natural river environment."
"The problem of more water being taken out of Australian rivers than is going into them has also created issues with flow. A river needs a certain amount of water to flow properly, to provide the right living conditions for animals and fish, and to provide enough water for plants."
"The waters of Australian rivers are also being affected by the addition of certain substances, like sediment and nutrients.. such as fertilisers used on crops, … when there are too many nutrients in a river, an algal bloom will occur… When the algae in algal blooms eventually dies, it can kill the other kinds of plants and animals that live in the river.
Sediment occurs when dust and dirt resulting from erosion gets into the river water. Removing trees and plants from an area can greatly increase the rate of erosion. Over grazing with large numbers of animals like sheep and cows can also contribute to erosion. More erosion means more sediment and rivers with high amounts of sediment can kill the plants and animals that live in them."
In contrast, there are wild free flowing rivers in other parts of Australia. In these rivers carp are not key threats, they are not present, nor are they potentially present:
- https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/2abc2d6b-d518-44d4-87c0-a1f2f9638a56/files/mainland-islands-oxley-wild-rivers-national-park.pdf
- https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/2abc2d6b-d518-44d4-87c0-a1f2f9638a56/files/mainland-islands-upper-fitzroy-river.pdf
So now the question needs to be asked. Are carp occupying a degraded niche, or are they really causing the degradation? Is the state of our rivers a man-made phenomenon?
Bear in mind that when you point your finger at carp, there are three fingers pointing back at you.
Native fish flourish in natural rivers. Carp merely occupy disturbed waterways.
The truth is out there.
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPh (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
Skype: thefishvet
President WAVMA 2014
Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University
Secrets revealed – HOW TO videos – by The Fish Vet.
Fish Vetting Techniques & Practical Tips arms you with tools on the best ways to diagnose and treat any type of diseased fish.
This DVD with its videos makes it the single most comprehensive resource for every fish veterinarian, fish farm manager, fish hobbyist, biology student, veterinary school, zoo and aquaria.
All your questions about veterinary procedures on treating all fish types are answered in this DVD.
Experienced Australian aquatic veterinarian, Dr Richmond Loh, takes you on an absorbing journey into the world of fish vetting: learn how to take diagnostic samples, how to treat fish, and even how to anaesthetise fish and perform surgery!
Buy a copy now – soon you will be able to see how Dr Loh treats fish with full confidence!
Don’t wait! Order a copy of Fish Vetting Techniques & Practical Tips at http://thefishvet.com.au/shop/shopping.html
WAVMA free webinar – Demystifying Aquatic Veterinary Antimicrobial Testing & Resistance
About this webinar: This presentation will focus on current antimicrobial testing methods for a wide-range of aquatic bacteria, as well as a recommended approach to interpret results for the most accurate clinical application possible. Interpreting MIC and Kirby-Bauer data and antimicrobial resistance in an enigma for many. Interpreting MIC and zone diameter data from in vitro, aquatic bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST) can be extremely challenging because of a lack of historical comparative data, and figuring out how to use interpretive criteria targeted for human and terrestrial animal application. It is further complicated by a lack of standardized testing methods, quality control, and inconsistent method performance. However, AST data allows detection of resistant bacteria in patients, populations, or the environment, and can provide guidance for selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Learning Objectives – participants will understand:
1. Current, standardized and recommended in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods available for aquatic bacteria, and where to locate them;
2. How to conduct diagnostic laboratory antimicrobial resistance surveillance; and,
3. How to establish epidemiological cut-off values (ECVs or ECOFFs) and clinical breakpoints for aquatic bacterial infections.
This webinar is suitable for veterinarians, vet techs/nurses, vet students and veterinary practice staff. Feel free to forward this announcement to colleagues.
About the speaker: Dr. Ron Miller PhD, is a microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, MD. He currently reviews applications for new animal drugs to ensure their efficacy and safety. Since 2008 he has also served as Chair of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute’s (CLSI), Subcommittee on Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Working Group on Aquaculture that endeavors to develop standardize methods for bacterial testing.
For more information, and to register, follow the link below –
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
Fish joke for Monday-itis: What do fish say when they get annoyed?
Answer is…
“Stop piscine me off!”
Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{
Catfish stuck to woman’s stomach: Tourist has surgery to remove fin
TheFishVet’s blog – 2015 in review
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. TheFishVet’s blog was viewed about 31,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 11 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
The WordPress.com stats has prepared a 2015 annual report for TheFishVet’s blog. Click here to see the complete report.
Why do aquaculture farmers need veterinarians?
Let’s answer this question with another question. How different is farming pigs and poultry to farming fish and prawns?
The clearest commonality among these industries is the fact that we are farming animals. And in farming animals, poor animal health decreases the performance of farm animals, leading to lowered production and associated economic losses due to mortality and morbidity. Additionally, poor animal health has a negative impact on animal welfare.
"It is not a secret that livestock farms relied on veterinarians for many decades to improve their animal health, and consequently promote efficient farm production and increase farm profits to their current levels. Using mortality rates as an indicator, the beef, dairy, broiler and swine industries report rate of 1%, 5%, 4% and 5% (Hickey, 2015) through a production cycle. Compare this with salmon production, where fish still suffers mortality rates as high as 20-25% (Hickey, 2015).
Are fish farmers aware of how much they are missing out on by not employing veterinarians to work within the aquaculture industry?"
So how and where do veterinarians fit into the scheme of farming animals? Terrestrial or aquatic, for that matter? What are the barriers (perceived or real) to utilising veterinarians on fish farms?
Read more in the article below.
What killed the fish at Cockburn Sound? The official report.
Here’s the official documentation for the explanation for the deaths of fish at Cockburn Sound late 2015.
To summarise, they’ve reported to have found severe gill damage in the fishes examined, linking this to Chaetoceros algal bloom that occurred around the same time (a result of nutrient-rich waters with poor flushing).
See the report at the link below.
Fish joke for Monday-itis: why don’t fish eat clocks?
Answer is…
Because it’s time consuming .
Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{