WITH fish in the Swan River perishing at an alarming rate, Perth company Oceania Re-search International claims to have a proven solution for treating algal bloom that has so far been overlooked by relevant authorities.
Oceanic Research founder George Groenvelb said his company’s bacterial product Lysofoss is already used extensively by local city councils, abattoirs, tanneries and aqua-culture centres and is surprised it hasn’t been used to treat the Swan River.
The City of Lismore in NSW used the treatment in 1997 on a pond at Wade Park.
The treatment was ad-ministered through the Environmental Analysis Laboratory at the Centre for Coastal Management in Lismore.
Laboratory manager Graham Lancaster verified that the problem with the pond at Wade Park in 1997 was algal bloom and that it was treated effectively using 25 kilograms of Lysofoss.
Mr Lancaster, who was involved in administering the treatment in 1997, said there was a substantial improvement in water quality and a significant reduction in the pond’s organic phosphorous, nitrogen and ammonia four weeks after being treated with Lysofoss.
But Swan River Trust River Manager Dr Jane Latchford said whilst she hasn’t heard of Lysofoss, the problem of algal bloom in the river is more complex than reducing organic nutrients and that inorganic nutrients and farm wastes are to blame.
Dr Latchford said the bloom was being fed by nutrients and soil material flushed into the river by autumn rains and supported by a layer of salt water lying at the bottom of the river where the algae is thriving.
She said the Swan River Trust already uses an alternative bacterial product as part of a wide-ranging treatment program, which includes an edu-cation program, and that whilst there has been a reduction in the algae concentrations, the algal bloom could flare up again reinforcing the need for an ongoing program.
Both Dr Latchford and Mr Groenveld agree the Swan River’s algae problems are caused by many years of nutrients flowing into the river, coupled with a slow moving river system and too little rainfall to flush the river of harmful material.
The Swan River Trust this week stressed the recent fish deaths in the Swan River are caused by algal bloom and not pollution, and that the algae species Karlodimuin micrum clogs the fishes’ gills and causes them to suffocate.
