Update: Botany Bay oil spill

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has released an advisory note to recreational fishermen in Botany Bay. The note say in part: “Recent heavy rain triggered the release of oily water into Botany Bay from Caltex's Kurnell Refinery on March 24, 2014.

As a precaution, recreational fishers should:
>> Avoid fishing in the actual spill area i.e. near the refinery and lower reaches of Botany Bay
>> Not collect marine life from the foreshore areas of Botany Bay
>> Not take fish that are dead or significantly impacted by the spill

There are no food safety issues associated with fishing in Botany Bay provided people apply common sense and follow the advice provided.”

The advisory note went on to say that: “There have no reports of fish kills in the area.” However, this is contrary to what we heard from locals who were fishing at the time of the spill, and even in the DPI’s own advice, above, they tell people not to take dead or affected fish.

Local fisherman Stan Konstantas, president of the South Sydney Amateur Fishing Association said on Monday, “I've never seen a slick like that in the bay and I've been here for close to 40 years.”

"It will have a devastating effect on the area," he said. "I picked up a handful of sand and there was oil dripping through my hands."

The DPI’s advisory note went on to say that Caltex and the relevant spill response authorities were working on the containment and dispersal of the spill.