Thread: The dirty secrets of Sydney Harbour.

I suspect it's no different than any other harbour surrounded by a massive population. To most people like my younger bro who lives in one of those exclusive burbs around it, boats on it and watches it from his balcony, it's superb.
Just another scare story to get a bit of publicity.
AlanH.

Originally Posted by ATH

I suspect it's no different than any other harbour surrounded by a massive population. To most people like my younger bro who lives in one of those exclusive burbs around it, boats on it and watches it from his balcony, it's superb.
Just another scare story to get a bit of publicity.
AlanH.

Ignorance is bliss. I suggest in this case, publicity may be required to wake people up. It would be like living in a cess pit. There are signs that warn not to fish west of the bridge, and limit what you eat east of the bridge.

Perhaps one problem that inhibits change is the false sense of security that comes with so much beauty. It’s been years since commercial fishing was allowed in Sydney Harbour because of elevated dioxins – a group of toxic chemical compounds that accumulate in fatty tissues and can cause problems with reproduction, development, and the immune system.

My Diving Course in Sydney while at HMAS Penguin and Dives from ships in GI always turned up some interesting stuff. Boat motors, Cars and even a safe or two pulled out. I was always looking for WW1 WW2 stuff near GI Got a few choice bits.

Eating fish was on for us south of the big coat hanger except of course for the types of fish that ate blind mullets .

Suspect its a lot cleaner now with no or a lot less blind mullets and industry really tidied up. The industrial sediment remains of course.

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

My Diving Course in Sydney while at HMAS Penguin and Dives from ships in GI always turned up some interesting stuff. Boat motors, Cars and even a safe or two pulled out. I was always looking for WW1 WW2 stuff near GI Got a few choice bits.

Eating fish was on for us south of the big coat hanger except of course for the types of fish that ate blind mullets .

Suspect its a lot cleaner now with no or a lot less blind mullets and industry really tidied up. The industrial sediment remains of course.

I'll provide the link from the internet to a briefing paper from the NSW Parliament, briefing paper no. 3 , 2015. It is an eye opener.


https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/re...%20Harbour.pdf

Then compare the inner harbour to Cabbage tree bay marine reserve. Incredible to see how well it has recovered from the 70's where it was an underwater desert.

I have heard of several ports in the past having had an unofficial use as an ‘anti-fouling’ harbour due to pollution. Once a year, companies would moor their boats/ships in port for a week or two and the marine growth on the hulls would be nuked. After that, scrape the hull and you are good to go.

Originally Posted by Rolly

Then compare the inner harbour to Cabbage tree bay marine reserve. Incredible to see how well it has recovered from the 70's where it was an underwater desert.

That's good news. There should be an effort by the people of Sydney to force State and Federal Governments to come up with a plan to, if not fix, at least bring the Harbour back to an acceptable condition. Sydney Harbour is one of Australia's greatest assets, and to do nothing is shameful. What to do? Better minds than mine should be working on a solution. Dredge Parramatta river and the Western Harbour, to remove the layers of toxic pollution? But where would you put it? The Harbour is like a newly painted house, full of white ants. Looks pretty on the surface, but eventually will come tumbling down.

The following story can be found in full in the book 'DOYLES FISH COOKBOOK', by Alice Doyle

One icon of the Harbour that tells the story of its degradation is a little café that used to be called the Ozone Café, Watson's Bay. Grandma and grandpa Newton opened their first little shop on the spot back in the late 1880's. Ferries used to bring picnic parties to the Bay, grandfather fished, grandma did a bit of business at the shop. The Smith Brothers came and settled in Watson's Bay, and with grandpa Newton, net fished all the inlets of the harbour. Bream, whiting, silver bream, black bream and flathead by the boatload . AS well as seahorses, sea stars squid and octopus. Back in the day only the Italian neighbours would buy the squid and octopus. That little shop grew into Doyle's on the beach. Now, professional fishing is totally banned in all of the Harbour, and amateur's are told they must not eat fish caught west of the bridge, and limit their consumption of fish caught east of the bridge, for their health's sake! And still the Harbour is being promoted as pristine, to the World. SHAME.

Only going to get worse unless they stop cramming people into Sydney .