By Ken Jury, Goolwa
30 July 2009
Online comment on Receding lakes leaves town high and dry, Adelaide Now, 26 June 2009
To the Fisher's, your courage is noted. Turning the lake back to estuarine can be done and it will put a new perspective on Meningie.
Some of you may recall when the system was pre barrages, and how there were 60 licensed fishers, many from Milang working the grounds from Point Sturt to Point McLeay. No, they were not fishing freshwater fish but in fact the estuarine Mulloway. As a bonus, they were also fishing the delta of Currency Creek and the Finniss River but again not for freshwater species but yelloweye mullet. Sure, there were times this changed due to river flow when the occasional cod made its way south from the river.
Back in the days of building the Goolwa barrage, mulloway were so thick up against the coffer dam, trying to get in to the Goolwa channel, they would be speared with crowbars by those working on the structure for seafood for their families. Yes, with some remodeling of the barrages, we can return the whole lower lakes system back to what it was. And with careful freshwater/seawater remediation of the southern lagoon of the Coorong, that system also can be returned.
Our best to those in and around Meningie. We haven't forgotten you.