Invasive species in spotlight at forum

The impact of invasive species such as Tilapia and Suminoe Oysters will be explored during a free environmental forum this week.

The forum, titled Talking about Invasive Species | Tilapia and Suminoe Oysters, will be held at Deception Bay Environmental Hub, 7 Joseph Cres, Deception Bay, on August 21 from 7-9pm.

It is a collaboration involving the Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise, Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) Moreton Bay, Redcliffe Environmental Forum and Biosecurity Queensland.

Tilapia were introduced into Australia in the 1970s, as ornamental fish, and are now a major threat to Australia's native biodiversity. It is a restricted noxious fish under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

Tilapia successfully invade and dominate many freshwater habitats due to their high ability to reproduce and survive in very different conditions, and simple food needs.

Unlike many native freshwater fish, they can retreat downstream into highly saline waters during drought and move back upstream when conditions improve.

Tilapia have a detrimental impact on native species as they compete for habitat and food, behave aggressively and disturb plant beds when building nests.

Biosecurity Queensland’s Invasive Plants and Animals Principal Policy Officer Hayden Ferguson will speak about the impact of tilapia on waterways and native species during the forum.

The Suminoe oyster is an introduced marine pest which has been detected in a number of locations including Bribie Island, Boggy Creek and Kedron Brook.

It was first detected in 2023 and is a ‘biosecurity matter’ under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

The Suminoe oyster (Magallana ariakensis) is a fast growing, large rock oyster belonging to the Ostreidae family of salt-water bivalve molluscs.

The shell provides protection from predation and can grow to up to 240mm long.

Biosecurity Queensland Marine Biosecurity Principal Biosecurity Officer Anita Wohlsen will share her knowledge about the oyster and its impact.

To register for the forum and to find out more, visit the website.