'Unheard of' conditions leads to massive dieback of mangroves

Mangrove dieback across northern Australia's
coastline comes after a long, hot summer,
lower than usual rainfalls, and the absence of
a wet season. "Unheard of" says fisherman.

The widespread dieback of mangroves across northern Australia's coastline has the commercial fishing industry worried about its future.

It is estimated around 10,000 hectares of mangroves have died along the Gulf of Carpentaria coastline, in an event being described by experts as severe and unprecedented.

Barramundi fisherman Jeff Newman has been working in the Gulf for years and has seen the mangrove dieback first hand.

"The extent of damage is a shock to me and of real concern to the [fishing] industry," he said.

"To see it on this massive scale is unheard of.

"I've never seen or heard of anything like this before in the past."

Mr Newman said the death of so many mangroves could have a disastrous impact on the local fishery.

Read the ABC Rural story - “Fishing industry concerned about widespread mangrove dieback in Northern Australia.”