Exotic fish are dominating native fish in the Ross River.

While it may seem kinder to free or flush ‘Willy’ into the river or toilet, one Willy can become thousands of pest fish.

It’s suspected that Townsville’s itinerant population is dumping aquarium fish.

The Ross River has the highest number of exotic or introduced fish in Queensland.

Willy may be a Swordtail, Guppy, Platy, or Sailfin Molly.

They are aggressive to native fish, eating their food, chasing them out of their habitat and stealing breeding sites.

Willy’s partner Wilhelmina can produce a larger number of young than her native competitor.

They can live in poor quality water allowing them to survive where our native fish can’t.

Diana O’Donnell from NQ Dry Tropics said for new residents it seems exotic to set up a tropical fish aquarium at home but releasing the introduced fish when moving on, leaves a terrible legacy for the environment.

“When moving arrange for friends to take your aquarium or return the fish to a commercial aquarium but please do not release them.” Diana said.

Aquarium enthusiasts can keep fish indigenous to the tropics of north Queensland, instead of from foreign waters.

Diana said, “The native archer fish, purple spot gudgeon and empire gudgeon, while not as flashy as gold fish, do look very attractive in an aquarium.

A global soft drink manufacturer and an environment group are getting behind north Queensland sugar cane farmers.

Project Catalyst supports farmers who are developing practices that improve the quality of water leaving farms.

Project Catalyst was born in the Mackay Whitsundays area and is expanding to the Burdekin region in north Queensland. The initiative is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation, World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Mackay Whitsunday natural resource management group Reef Catchments.

It’s expanding into north Queensland with the support of local natural resource management group NQ Dry Tropics. NQ Dry Tropics CEO Scott Crawford said the initiative has already seen changes in the Mackay area. He says, “In the first year of Project Catalyst it improved soil, nutrient, pesticide, irrigation and storm water management on almost 5,000 hectares of farms.

“It’s greatly reduced pollutants running off farms and into nearby waterways.”

Farmers in the Burdekin are experiencing cash flow issues because of the impact extreme weather has had on harvesting.

The region’s natural resource management group NQ Dry Tropics is responding to these unusual circumstances by making sustainable land management changes affordable.

Small grants are available until the end of April to sugar cane growers in the Burdekin. They’re quick and painless to apply for and

Paul Duncanson from NQ Dry Tropics said, “We’ve already had response to the grants from farmers who aren’t familiar with getting help to pay for farm equipment.

“They’re pleased to see how easy it is to apply.

“Offering small grants is a great way for us to get in touch with growers we haven’t spoken to before and for them to learn how we can help them.” Paul said.

The small grants are made possible through the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue initiative. In a new approach to delivering grants NQ Dry Tropics is working directly with local businesses to make it easier and quicker for growers to get.

Items include chemical storage and spill prevention equipment, farm

For more information visit nqdrytropics.com.au or call Paul Duncanson on 4724 3544.

 Presentations delivered at the Inaugural Reef Rescue Showcase held last month in Cairns are now available. The presentations include:

• A focus on best-practice science and engagement | NQ Dry Tropics
• Strong partnerships and sound delivery model engaging cane growers in the Lower Burdekin | NQ Dry Tropics
• An overview of Reef Rescue | Mike Berwick
• Partnerships for Practice Change | Fitzroy Basin Association
• Grains BMP program - boosting productivity and reef water quality | Grains BMP officers and participants
• What we understand and what we need to understand better: the change in research focus | Hugh Yorkston, GBRMPA
• Underpinning science to target improved practice change | Fitzroy Basin Association
• Industry-wide Reef Rescue projects - big picture projects helping out regional growers and graziers
• Milking the P's to change: powerful partnerships using performing programs, precision planning and proven practices | Rick Kowitz, Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation
• Horticulture: in partnership with the Reef | Growcom
• Healthy Country: managing the land for healthy waterways - a case study from SEQ | SEQ Catchments
• Reef Rescue success in the Wet Tropics | Terrain

A book has been developed by NQ Dry Tropics and CSIRO to help landholders understand the significance of native plants and animals they find on their properties. 

An area in our region called the northern Brigalow Belt is one of fifteen national biodiversity hotspots in Australia.

NatureAssist is for rural Queensland landholders to help sustainably manage their land, conditional upon them entering into a nature refuge agreement. NatureAssist is a competitive market-based incentive scheme that gives landholders throughout rural Queensland the opportunity to tender for financial assistance to carry out on-ground management actions that will maintain or enhance their property’s conservation values.  Expressions of interest must be submitted by 16 March 2009 (5pm AEST). Landholders can express their interest by completing a simple one-page expression of interest form available at www.epa.qld.gov.au/naturerefuges or by calling the EPA Customer Service Centre on 1300 130 372.
 

Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM was recently awarded a grant of almost $42,000 to help empower the community coastcare movement in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region.