Tuna Concerns Over Oil Explorationff

Source: Port Lincoln Times

The  announcement of planned oil explorations by BP off Port Lincoln waters in the Great Australian Bight has created concerns for the local tuna industry.

As the Great Australian Bight provides fishers with their annual tuna fishing grounds due to the bluefin’s migration path, Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association research manager David Ellis said drilling into the ocean floor could potentially devastate the migration path of the fish.

“There are major concerns about whether the development of the oil industry in the Great Australian Bight will have a direct impact on the migratory route of southern bluefin tuna,” Mr. Ellis said.

“The development of another new industry for the region is very good as it will underpin our regional stability in the long term.

“My biggest concern is that I wouldn’t want to see development at the expense of existing industries.”

Mr. Ellis said questions had been raised on the use of seismic surveying techniques and its impact on marine creatures.

“This technology is very effective for working out areas for exploration, however it is very loud and sends shockwaves through the water,” he said.

“Everyone is familiar of what happens to fish when you tap on the glass of an aquarium, imagine this when it is thousands of times louder.”

The recent oil spill in Mexico, which devastated the gulf and to a lesser extent the Western Australian oil spill in 2009, have proved to be a “big wake up call” for the oil industry worldwide, Mr. Ellis said.

“I hope that all the lessons learnt will be applied to any work undertaken in our harsh marine environment and that existing industries will be respected in any future development.”