Tangalooma urges residents to save bay
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Tangalooma Island Resort is encouraging Brisbane residents to take action after the recent deaths of several dolphins, dugongs and turtles in Moreton Bay. Five dolphins, at least two dugongs, and more than 12 turtles over the past month have washed up on shores across Moreton Bay without explanation.
Tangalooma Island Resort director Trevor Hassard said the health of Moreton Bay affected all Brisbane residents.
“The number of dead animals turning up in the Bay is alarming and everything possible should be done, as quickly as possible, to determine the cause,” Mr Hassard said.
“Tangalooma does everything it can to help injured wildlife but cannot fix the overall health of Moreton Bay on its own.
“Tangalooma has been taking water samples from waters close to Moreton Island every week for the past 15 years and is one of the few areas that has an ‘A’ rating in the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program,” he said.
There is speculation the alarming level of deaths has been caused by pollution and chemical contamination of catchments that wash into the Bay, while others are blaming changes in water temperatures.
Mr Hassard said it was imperative to find the answer before any more deaths occurred.
“This may just be a natural spike but we don’t know for sure and need to know what’s wrong,” Mr Hassard said. “But this isn’t just the government’s problem or its responsibility.
“The people of Brisbane need to work together and take ownership of Moreton Bay - it’s a protected marine park and precious resource.
“People sometimes don’t realise that the rubbish they throw into the gutter, creeks and rivers ends up in the bay.
“We all have to work together, the state government and Brisbane residents, to save the Bay.
“It’s just too beautiful to take for granted.”
Moreton Bay is home to more than 600 wild bottlenose dolphins, 10,000 Green Sea and 2,000 Loggerhead turtles and has the largest dugong population adjacent to a capital city. Tangalooma’s marine biologists will continue to assist the Department of Environment
and Resource Management in monitoring the water quality of Moreton Bay.
-ENDS
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