A final report on sick fish in Gladstone Harbour says flooding – not dredging – was the main cause of the problem, reports gladstoneobserver.com.au.
Some scientists, environmentalists and commercial fishermen have blamed suspended dredging sediments for a prolonged disease outbreak affecting seafood, turtles, dugong and other marine life, but Gladstone Ports Corporation and government scientists have maintained this was due to flooding in early 2011.
The study could not rule out dredging as one of the possible causes of the death of fish, however, it confirmed that dredging was not the main cause.
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Dredging Today Staff, August 2, 2013