Scientists are taking to the Hawkesbury River, North of Sydney, to investigate what's causing a surge in the number of jellyfish. The underwater population boom is hurting the business of some local commercial fishers, and leaving Aussies without prawns this summer season. Experts are coming up with novel ideas to manage the problem.
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00:00Look just below the surface of the Hawkesbury River and you'll find a species in bloom.
00:09There's been a few very drastic changes in the last three to four years.
00:14This species of jellyfish have actually multiplied like we've never seen before.
00:20For commercial fishers like the Vandernutes, it's making their jobs extremely difficult.
00:26There has been times where we only get one shot a day.
00:30If we try and squeeze in a second shot, the blubber just overwhelms us.
00:35The shops that we sell to, they were getting no prawns from us.
00:39All their customers were upset.
00:42It just affected everyone.
00:43While they've had some success modifying the nets on their trawler, thousands of smaller
00:48jelly blubber can still get through.
00:51Finding the cause isn't easy.
00:53Unfortunately in the Hawkesbury, there actually isn't any long-term data that we have that
00:57allows us to really understand what's happening to the jellyfish there.
01:00Scientists are searching the estuary for the species polyps, which baby jellyfish bud off.
01:06The study's lead investigator believes the polyps could be in a particularly safe spot.
01:12If the polyps are sitting in a deep hole, the freshwater which is less dense will tend
01:17to pass over them and that deep hole might provide a refuge.
01:20One solution being floated is jelly blubber fisheries, with some suggesting Australia
01:25could be an untapped market for both food and skin care.
01:28It's used in skin care because of the high collagen levels found in jellyfish naturally.
01:35It's just got to be done right and marketed in a way where people don't find it weird
01:41and disgusting.
01:43The jellyfish have become so abundant, it may actually be attractive for the commercial
01:47fishers to harvest.
01:48Department officials say any new fishing industry would need to pass environmental assessment
01:54and prove its economic viability.
01:57For now, fishers on the Hawkesbury will just have to navigate their own way through.