In response to Peter Fuller's requset about seawaeeds and avifauna.
1. BOCA seaweed survey
The Bird Observer's Club of Australia (BOCA) recently carried out a survey
of seaweed (beachwashed) and birdlife in Victoria. This was reported in
the BOCA Newsletter I seem to remember.
I cannot find a link to anything published but no doubt the Conservation
Co-ordinator at BOCA could advise those interested.
The link to BOCA is - http://www.birdobservers.org.au/
Telephone - 039 877 5342
2. Victorian Environment and Natural Resources Committee (ENRC) Report
(Inquiry into the Utilisation of Victorian Native Flora and Fauna 2000)
This fascinating report has much useful information on the kelp harvesting
industry in Australia. It can be viewed at -
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/enrc/unff/report/util3-07.htm
A snippet from this report:
'It has been estimated that the world seaweed industry is worth around A$1.5
billion a year derived from production of over 6 million
tonnes. By weight, around two-thirds is used for food, with the
remainder used for industrial purposes. In 1995 the market demand
for seaweed as food in Japan (a major market) was 220,000 tonnes,
whereas production is now less than 100,000 tonnes, the
shortfall currently being supplied by China.
Australia is a net importer of seaweed products - to the tune of over
$16 million in 1995-96. Of this, over $3.5 million's worth, or 250
tonnes of seaweed, was for food - an increase of over 200 per cent over
the previous two years. Over $12.7 million worth of
industrial colloids were imported, including about $2.5 million's worth
used in food manufacture. It is somewhat ironic that
Australia's major export of kelp (from King Island) is exported to
Scotland, where it is used to manufacture alginate - a product that
we, in turn, import !'
3. Marine algae (page from the Australian Marine Conservation Society) -
http://www.amcs.org.au/periodic/bulletin/ttt/tttw02StatusMarineSpecies.htm
Australia possesses an extraordinarily diverse marine flora. Over 2000 of the
worlds 6500-7000 species of
seaweed are found in Australia. Almost half of these species are endemic to
Australia. Bennett's Seaweed
(Vanvoorstia bennettiana) is the only species 'presumed extinct' (in NSW).
Some 340 species of marine
algae are listed as being of concern by Environment Australia. Almost half of
these species are endemic to
Australia. Our understanding of the distribution and status of Australia's
macroalgal species is limited.
Threats - Possibly land-based and marine-based sources of pollution,
over-harvesting of kelp and global
warming.
cheers
Martin O'Brien
Executive Scientific Officer, Scientific Advisory Committee
Department of Sustainability and Environment
4/250 Victoria Pde., East Melbourne 3002
Tel: 9412 4567 Fax: 9412 4586
(prefixes: Interstate 03 International 613)
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