Sydney Harbour attracts most fishers - but can they eat their catch?

by Media Services on 3 Oct 2010 A Department of Primary Industries report shows Sydney Harbour has the most recreational fishers per square kilometre of any NSW waterway. This has prompted authorities to express concern about the consumption of poisoned fish caught west of the Harbour Bridge.

The DPI survey involved more than 500 people, who named 33 species they took home. Despite the 70 per cent of survey respondents rating the harbour as 'good to very good', Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan said fishers were ignoring warnings about possible carcinogens in catches from west of the bridge.

Fish from the western side of the harbour have been considered unsafe to eat since 2006, when high levels of dioxins were found in some species.

At that time, experts found bream and prawns in the harbour contained almost five times the safe amount of dioxins.
'Despite the well-publicised warnings that seafood from this area should not be consumed, the survey found a large number of fish were caught and retained west of the bridge,' Whan said.

He said the ban on the commercial fishing of Sydney Harbour would remain in place. Even anglers east of the bridge should not eat more than 150 grams per month of fish caught on that side.

University of Technology Sydney marine ecologist, Professor David Booth said his students had analysed water collected from the upper, middle and lower harbour annually since 2008. Their research showed a significant decrease in the turbidity of water in the harbour since 2008, and an increase in oxygen saturation which is vital for healthy waterways.

Yellowfin bream is the most common species caught in the harbour, then yellowtail scad, snapper, kingfish and flathead.

Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW spokesman Joe Garufi said he had eaten Sydney Harbour fish all his life: 'There is no problem whatsoever.'

David Booth, who heads the scientific advisory body for the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, said for a very urbanised area, 'Sydney Harbour water quality is really quite good'.