MANGROVES DESTROYED AT AIRLIE BEACH, QLD
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) officers are appealing for witnesses after mangroves were destroyed at Mandalay, on Airlie Beach.
QBFP district officer Rob McDonald said that an area of mangroves covering 30m by 15m had been cut down at Mandalay’s intertidal zone late last year.
“The area where the damage occurred is quite public and can be easily seen from the water, so we are hoping that someone has seen or heard something that could help with the investigation,” he said.
“So far we have been unable to identify the responsible party and now we are relying on the public to come forward so that the investigation can continue.
“Anyone with knowledge of this incident, which happened in early December, should contact the local QBFP office on (07) 4946 7003 or call the Fishwatch Hotline on 1800 017 116.”
Mangroves are ecologically vital to local marine ecosystems and Queensland’s fisheries sustainability. 75 per cent of Queensland’s fish species are dependant on estuaries and fish habitat areas for part of their life cycle.