A problem easily fixed by igniting a few sticks of gelly in the middle of the night!

The barrage is a folly and should be abandoned. With rising sea levels it is inevitable that the Coorong and Lake Alexandrina will revert to a salt water environment. River control should aim to maintain a fresh water river at and above Tailem Bend. To persist in keeping sea water out of Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert will become a little like the efforts of King Canute to stop the incoming tide.

Hi Jennifer,

I know little of the technicalities of estuary conservation however I can spot an activist when I see one.

If you had made much more of the case of the causes of waterway deterioration rather than the symptoms, i.e. Carp, your article might have had much more credibility.

Your last paragraph is no way to conclude a serious article, it is pure petulant activism.

Spin doc

I've written so much on the Lower Lakes and water quality and more... but interesting this article seems to be the first one to catch your attention.

You can read more at the following link, in particular, if you skip down to the link to the very last article 'Plugging the Murray's Mouth' you will get a fully referenced report that was slammed by Media Watch... so much for the ABC caring about 'Saving the Murray'.

http://jennifermarohasy.com/saving-the-murray-darling/

Cheers,

This article makes a lot of sense. To spend $10 Billion to support an $863,000 carp fishery doesn't make sense - though I don't imagine that the barriers were installed with such a fishery in mind, but rather for recreational purposes and possibly fresh water supply for the local human inhabitants.
Why were the barriers installed; and are these reasons still relevant?
Does their function aid in the maintenance of adequate fresh water flow and retention in the mentioned up-river environmentally sensitive wetland areas?
There seems to be just cause to review the efficacy of these barriers, but it doesn't sound as simple as Mulloway versus Carp.

We keep hearing that the water buy-back is to ensure adequate flows to 'the Basin', for environmental and human water-supply (particularly to Adelaide) AND to maintain the 'wetlands'.
Could it be that the answer is to move the 'barriers' upstream? (With removal of the downstream 'basin' barriers of course?)

Are we being sold a lemon-carp with the buy-back?

I have to agree with this article. In a strange way greenies are the new conservatives. Were it not for the Depression era barrages the lower Murray would be salty as Capt Sturt found two centuries ago. While insisting that upstream irrigators go on the dole to maintain water flow SA politicians like to plan large new housing subdivisions. I suggest making those housing estates depend on rainwater tanks and desal not river water.

Logistically it might be easier to construct a weir at Pomanda Pt at the head of lower lakes. Dynamite the barrages and dredge a navigation channel from the weir to the sea. The geologic destiny of the lower lakes is seawater incursion with or without the present 3 mm a year sea level rise. Give back the annual 1000 GL or whatever evaporation to the people who grow proper food upstream. BTW Charlie Carp is good for growing pumpkins but I'm sure there are alternatives.

Hi Jennifer,

True, you have written much of substance on the barrages and many thanks for your link.

Makes no difference to the point I raised which was, why are you now flashing your colors as an activist?

It is because you get the feeling that fewer and fewer are listening to you? Is this because Australians have turned off? Is it because your articles are losing traction? Is it an act of desperation resulting from the fact that activism is not as credible as it used to be?

I don’t have any answers for you, except to say, stop getting frustrated with those who don’t agree with you. Why don’t you stop proselytizing to your captive audience and start making some logical, non emotive arguments to those who are disinterested in where your argument is going?

I can whip up support quite easily for those that agree with me that the Martians will invade anytime now, but what’s the point. Stop preaching to the converted, make some new inroads.

Otherwise you tag yourself as an activist.

Go away Spindoc and spin your ego web somewhere else.

Jennifer is a PhD scientist who has spent years researching this subject and she has every right to keep publishing her opinions - especially on The Forum, On line Opinions!

I've been following Jennifer's arguments on this story for years now and I agree with her as do many others.

Hopefully with the upcoming change of Government we might get some rational decisions on this matter.

It has always amazed me that there was no mention of the carp invasion in any of the "expert" and "scientific" Murray Darling Basin reports. This noxious pest has been responsible for much environmental degradation in the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems. It is sad to think that productive water is being taken away from farmers so as Lake Alexandrina can be kept artificially fresh. You also don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand why the carp fishermen have been very vocal throughout the whole MDB Plan process. If the Lake was returned to its natural estuarine state the carp would not survive but at least the native Mulloway could return.

It is funny how Jennifer does not want foreign fish displacing Australian fish in Australian rivers, but she can't make the same connection about foreign people doing the same thing to her own people, in her own country.

Hi Janama, (AKA one of the converted)

Nobody is denying Jennifer her opinions, we are challenging them.

Having a PhD is all the more reason for the expectation of deeper analysis, rational thinking and well considered conclusions. If these are not presented is fails the “research” test and becomes captive to activism.

The issue seems to be that the intervention in tidal flows has created an accidental but thriving market for Carp.

Great, that gives fishermen a product to sell to an emerging market for a species that is popular with Asians and European cultures.

What other contributory factors might be considered?

Australians are being priced out of our own seafood products and markets, our fisheries are now restricted by the marine parks pushed for by conservation activism, our fisheries inside and outside our marine parks are being pillaged by foreign fishing interests, our border protection vessels are too busy picking up “irregular maritime arrivals” to protect our remaining fisheries, not to mention retrieving the remaining body parts of those 1200 plus souls lost at sea and activists still want to release the precious lifeblood of our agriculture and remaining fisheries for “wet land” conservation?

So, for some fishermen, Carp is a product that can provide them a living.

Can’t have that now can we, so why not deny them that also?

Please discuss Janama?

spindoc - I would have thought a saltwater fishing industry with Mulloway, Mullet etc would be more beneficial than an introduced carp industry.
If carp are so much in demand, as you say, why aren't there carp fishing industries all along the Murray river as it's full of them. We could do well to rid ourselves of them.

Hi Janama,

It wasn’t me who said these Carp were in demand it was Jennifer in her article. Perhaps you should actually READ her article before commenting on it. You sound like Bill Shorten when he said “I don’t know what Julia Gillard said but I agree with her”

<< I would have thought a saltwater fishing industry with Mulloway, Mullet etc would be more beneficial than an introduced carp industry. >> Really?

I guess you may well have “thought” but you obviously didn’t read my post either. Is there something we should know about your and reading and comprehension?

Otherwise you would have considered how long it might take to get agreement to remove the tidal barrier, legislate for it, remove it, complete an agricultural impact statement, mitigate for the restored tidal flow and restock the estuary with native species.

I don’t suppose it matters to you what these fishermen do for a living whilst you sort out these minor issues?

Next time you think about thinking perhaps you should think again before thinking

spindoc - no need to get rude mate! I did read what you and Jennifer wrote, did you?

You wrote:
"Great, that gives fishermen a product to sell to an emerging market for a species that is popular with Asians and European cultures."

Have you ever eaten Asian Carp? it tastes ok but it's difficult to prepare because it's extremely boney. The US is facing a similar problem with asian carp in their rivers and lakes and they can't get anyone to eat it either so it also becomes fertiliser. Europeans have shown little interest in eating Asian Carp except perhaps their eggs as a caviar.

BTW in case you didn't know Charlie Carp Ltd is established in NSW at Deniliquin. The Lake fishermen are only a small part of the whole fertiliser industry and as I said maybe they'd prefer to be selling fresh Jewfish and Mullet to the Adelaide diners.

Go to the Milang Museum and you will see a whole display devoted to the fishermen of Milang and how they created their nets etc.

A weir at Wellington or Pomander point, Lock 0, would keep the carp in the Murray River, Charlie Carp would continue using Murray River carp and saltwater fish would occupy the lake, like it used to and like all the other similar estuaries on the Australian coast.

But as you admitted yourself "I know little of the technicalities of estuary conservation....."

Setting up oyster and mussel beds wouldn't take long. I can't wait to savor Alexandrina Oysters on my table as i love oysters. This year saw the first Port Philip Bay oysters appear since the 1800s, maybe the lake can be next.

All the argument and facts are on the table - it just needs a forward thinking politician to draw up the legislation and fight for it. All the farm water supplies have been dealt with and fresh water pipes are already in place.