Too many politicians and commentators have leapt to blame one industry for the massive fish kill. Facts matter,writes the CEO of Cotton Australia.
Labor's water spokesman says getting better information about the state of Murray-Darling Basin ecosystems is"an absolute priority".
The first of 16 machines aimed at keeping vital fish stocks alive in NSW's ailing rivers will be installed as soon as Wednesday as fears build of more large dieoffs amid searing inland temperatures.
Officials managing Australia’s most important river network have also cast doubt on claims that a million fish were killed in this month’s mass die-off in the Murray-Darling system.
The state of many of NSW's rivers is so dire that the Berejiklian government will start installing aerators to increase oxygen levels and keep vital stocks of native fish alive.
Tony Burke is not the only one shocked by the sight of dead fish at Menindee Lakes.
The advice from the Fisheries NSW,obtained by Labor under freedom of information,warned that issues"directly related to water management"were having"negative cumulative impacts"on native fish populations.
Wildlife authorities have moved swiftly to deal with a mix of animals trapped in mud near dried-out lakes at Menindee amid calls for more action to ease an"animal welfare crisis".
The first sign Graeme McCrabb knew something was badly amiss in the Menindee Weir Pool was when he drove his car over the Darling River bridge near the town last Sunday.
The die-off of fish,the fourth in the Murray-Darling Basin in recent months,has drawn widespread attention to the plight of the country's largest river system.