Endangered species may stop the dam — Local group needs your help.
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By Craig and Gabrielle Latta - AFTCRA
Photos of the effects of the fish ladder on the Burnett River on turtles.
After six months of anguish and upset for all of the valley residents, finally it would appear there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC 1999) cannot be avoided by our State Government! Additionally, the Premier has started to realise that many of the processes developed to reduce impacts on the threatened species of the Paradise Dam impoundment, just don’t work. The federal Minister for the Environment, lan Campbell, has stated that all reports produced for the Traveston Crossing dam will be “heavily scrutinised”.
Two EPBC listed endangered species, the Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) and the Mary River cod (Maccullochella peeIii mariensis), are endemic to the Mary River only. This means that they only naturally occur in one river system in Australia and in no other place in the world!
The Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association (AFTCRA Inc.) a not-for-profit group based at Carter’s Ridge, was formed in July 2005. It was obvious to the group from the very beginning that turtles that occur in only one river system are extremely vulnerable and require special attention, even before the threat of damming became an issue! Craig Latta, one of the co-founders of AFTCRA Inc. has been studying Mary River turtles in the wild since the year 2000. Through Craig’s obsession with turtles he has produced several documents and journal entries including work entered onto the Government’s Wildnet Database, which is accessed by all Government departments for specific environmental data.
In the last five years, Craig has seen some extraordinary things and had many unforgettable experiences in the river. Craig’s method of passive observation gives him a huge advantage over other researchers. He has seen over one hundred Mary River turtles, seventy cod, hundreds of lungfish, had two Platypus foraging for food within two feet of him and has even been courted by an amorous Queensland Lungfish!
As part of AFTCRA’s preliminary studies, Craig has completed countless hours of passive observation of the aquatic wildlife and these studies usually involve two people. Craig snorkels large stretches of the river and relays what he has seen to a second volunteer in a canoe. GPS co-ordinates are taken for all Mary River turtle habitat and nesting sites, cod sightings and Platypus sightings. Craig estimates that he has seen one Queensland lungfish for every 75 metres of the river that he has snorkelled. So far, AFTCRA Inc. have surveyed from Moy Pocket to 5kms upstream of the proposed dam wall site. “It is absolutely incredible, what you can see below the surface!” Craig said. “I wish we could get some of our politicians to see for themselves what they are willing to destroy!”
After almost completing their preliminary studies, one important point has become apparent. “Although I didn’t think the dam was going to threaten the existence of Mary River turtles I have come to realise that there could be no riparian or aquatic vegetation, available, should the dam go ahead!”
This means that the turtle species within the Mary River may starve to death due to a lack of food availability. Also, the current nesting banks will be inundated and therefore not conducive to laying activity. “The main problem is that these threats only become obvious after at least two generations… .in the case of the Mary River turtle this is up to 50 years when this has become another Government’s problem!” Craig said.
So how can you help? It’s simple! If you own property with Mary River frontage and have members of AFTCRA Inc. ask for access to the river, say yes! If you have any questions, they will be more than happy to answer them for you. If you wish to make a donation to help AFTCRA Inc. buy essential equipment for their studies, contact them for further details. If you wish to have an active role in turtle conservation, give Craig or Gabrielle a call and they can notify you when they need assistance with the thorough investigation, proposed to last two and a half years.
So far the largest local contribution has come from Don and Gail Johnson.
The Management Committee wishes to express their absolute gratitude for their support! Because of their generosity, AFTCRA Inc. has decided to make them both Honorary Life Members of the organisation! Membership has numerous benefits including free or discounted entry into many of Australia’s reputable animal parks and zoos, one of which is a 20% discount into Underwater World at Mooloolaba and discounts off all AFTCRA Inc. merchandise, not to mention the fact that you are contributing to the conservation of some of Australia’s most unique and endangered wildlife. All profits from the sale of products help AFTCRA Inc. to achieve their goal of preventing the extinction of Australia’s freshwater turtles.
The Management Committee of AFTCRA Inc. will endeavour to publish documentation of all of their findings to ensure that all of the environmental impacts of the Traveston Crossing Dam are realised!
If you require any further information please contact Gabrielle or Craig Latta on 07 5408 2616 or email:
The Mary River turtle Elusor macrurus is endemic to the Mary River only and is one of the most unique turtles in the world! They are within the 25 MOST ENDANGERED freshwater turtle species in the world. This species was only discovered as late as 1990 and is monotypic (one of a kind). The Mary River turtle is one of Australia’s largest short-necked turtles and can grow to almost 50cm shell length.
Adult males are distinguished from females by their large tail which is up to 70% of the shell length. No other modern turtle in the world has a tail this long. Up to 3 weeks prior to nesting, gravid (pregnant) females prefer to congregate near sandy banks close to riffle zones. This provides hatchlings with access to highly oxygenated water.
The Mary River Turtle can absorb oxygen through two special sacs located inside the cloaca, called bursa. This enables them to stay underwater for up to one week and helps them avoid predators. For this reason they are affectionately known as ‘bottom-breathers’!
Adult turtles eat aquatic sponges, vegetation and riparian fruits.
Above is a pic of a Mary River turtle plush toy prototype that we will have available in time for Christmas. The colours will be changed from green to grey and will be more realistic colours. The shape is the same as a real Male Mary River turtle, right down to the 2 gular prongs under the chin and the unique tail.
They will sell for $20 each and 100% of all profits will go towards saving this precious endangered species, as well as the other five in the river. The sales will allow us to purchase vital research equipment to continue our 3 year investigation and survey.
Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation & Research Association
For more photos of Turtles, lungfish and other endangered species
stevem
stevem
stevem
19.09.2005
The Australian lungfish—one of the world’s oldest fishes and related to our ancient ancestors—may have been viewing rivers in technicolour long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Recent work by postgraduate student Helena Bailes at the University of Queensland Australia, has found these unusual fish have genes for five different forms of visual pigment in their eyes. Humans only have three.
Helena is one of 13 early-career researchers who have presented their work to the public and the media for the first time as part of the national program Fresh Science.
One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip to the UK courtesy of the British Council to present his or her work to the Royal Institution.
Night and day (colour) vision are controlled by different light sensing cells known respectively as rods and cones. Humans have a single type of rod and three types of cone, each containing a different pigment gene tuned to red, green and blue wavelengths.
Lungfish possess two additional pigments that were lost in mammals, Bailes says. They are tuned to longer wavelengths than in most other fish.
“Lungfish are very large, slow-moving fish, so vision was always assumed to be of little importance” she says. “This work may change that theory.”
Lungfish are ‘living fossils’ unchanged for over 100 million years. The Australian species (Neoceratodus forsteri) is the most primitive of the living lungfishes.
It is a threatened species protected from fishing which lives in only a handful of rivers in south east Queensland.
“The only way to find out how the first creatures on land saw the world is to look at their closest living relative: the Australian lungfish,” Helena says.
The photoreceptive cells, which house the visual pigments, are bigger in lungfish than for any other animal with a backbone. This probably makes them more sensitive to light.
“We keep discovering ways in which these animals are quite different from other fish,” Helena says. “Their eyes seem designed to optimise both sensitivity and colour vision with large cells containing different visual pigments.”
She now is hoping that behavioural research can find out how these fish are using their eyes for colour vision in the wild.
“We may then learn what Queensland rivers look like to some of their oldest inhabitants, before those inhabitants are wiped out,” Bailes says.
stevem
Mary River Albino Lungfish sited
(Image of a white Lungfish and not an albino)
While doing field work in the Mary and some of it’s creeks yesterday I saw the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my 7 years of diving the Mary River! It was a white (possibly albino) Lungfish and what was even more amazing, it had made it to adult size. I feel that the reason it has been able to survive and not be eaten by predators at a young age (like most animals that stand out in their natural environment) because of the huge amount of aquatic vegetation that made it very hard to dive in.
Lungfish photo taken yesterday ( 5 SEP 2007 ) in Little Yabba creek
I have seen heaps in the Charlie Morland camping area water hole which is approx. 5kms upstream in Little Yabba from the Mary River junction. Anyone disputing this fact is quite welcome to come along with me for a dive but must make a $500 dollar donation to AFTCRA Inc. once proved wrong. I will personally give $500 if they aren’t there. That’s how confident I am!
Craig-AFTCRA Inc
stevem
Turtle destined to become dinner rescued
Thu Nov 27 2008
By Josephine Asher, ninemsn
An Australian man’s mission to save an endangered turtle from the serving plate of a Hong Kong restaurant has come to a happy ending — thanks to a Buddhist nun.
Craig Latta, president of the Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association, launched a rescue operation after ninemsn contacted him about a turtle that escaped a boiling pot of water at the Kuen Fat restaurant.
The wattle-necked soft shell species even left the restaurant chef with a broken toe after biting him during an attempted getaway.
“It’s attempt to make an escape means it obviously has a will to survive — like all freshwater and marine turtles,” Mr Latta said.
Despite the 50cm-long reptile’s dash for freedom, the restaurant planned to cook the turtle today, ninemsn reported on Tuesday in an article that sparked 250 comments from concerned readers.
Mr Latta yesterday called his friend, Ernie Chan from pet product company Reptile One in Sydney, who then put his Hong Kong colleagues onto the case.
But the colleagues arrived at the restaurant in Hong Kong’s Shau Kei Wan district only to find that the restaurant had already received three offers to save the turtle.
“A Buddhist nun in Hong Kong was the first person to contact the restaurant and has since purchased the turtle so that it may be freed,” Mr Chan said.
Soft-shelled turtles, which are found in rivers in China and Vietnam, are a delicacy in Hong Kong and fetch hundred of dollars per dish. They are also believed to have strong medicinal powers.
But high demand for turtle meat in banquet-style dinners in China has put many species at risk including the wattle-necked soft shell turtle (Palea steindachneri), which is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.
“This species is highly valuable in food trade,” the list says.
“The future security of introduced populations in Mauritius and the United States is critical for the survival of the species.”
Mr Latta said he was “relieved now justice has been served for the turtle”.
“We’re glad there are more people out there like us… [the turtle] deserves a fresh start,” he said.
Mr Latta said his first thought was to jump on a plane to save the turtle — and it would not have been the first time.
In 2001, he flew to Borneo when he heard about the plight of seven Asaian and Malayan soft-shelled turtles (endangered species) for sale in a restaurant.
The Queensland-based turtle guru then filmed their release in a protected area where fishing was not allowed.
He has also saved turtles from a drying lake in Gatton, Queensland and is currently researching the impact that the Traveston Dam would have on turtle populations and habitats.
“When I hear there are turtles in danger, that’s where I go,” he said. “If we can save one, that means a lot.”
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