John C Fairfax's Page

Agmates,

I have a background on the Paroo at Tongo Station, and at Calvert Hills Station NT. A lifetime of diving has also provided considerable experience and some info rural people might be interested in.

Concerning whether farmers are to blame for nutrient pollution damage to coral, see the following article and especially the photograph at:

http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=4043

I would appreciate any comment. There is need for proper treatment of the real problem in the ocean. And obviously farmers should not be blamed for something they are not doing. For example hopw can science know what load of nutrients is coming from Queensland agriculture and what part ofm the total load is coming from southern cities and towns?

Ocean food web ecosystem devastation involves agriculture because of a range of reasons including cost of fish used for fishmeal and fertilizer. Fish feed seabirds, guano/phosphate comes from seabirds.

As fish have become depleted the price of fish has increased, causing feed mills to turn to abattoirs to buy lower cost offal to make meatmeal in place of fishmeal, cattle then eating brain of their own species, resulting in mad cow disease, CJD in humans, and turmoil in beef industry worldwide. My opinion anyway.

Depletiuon of fish is causing inflation and food cost many people can no longer afford, this in turn sometimes causing a glut and forcing rural producers to dump produce at a non viable price. Again, my opinion based on research.

If anyone disagrees, please advise.

Regards,

JF