Ports chief has no issue with way fish report was funded
GLADSTONE Ports Corporation chief executive Leo Zussino says he has no problem with the way a critical fish report was funded.
The report on fish health by veterinary scientist Matt Landos found a link between fish health problems and the major dredging project in Gladstone Harbour.
Mr Zussino has attacked the science in Mr Landos' report, saying it flies in the face of all credible scientific research on Gladstone Harbour.
On Friday, Mr Zussino's response included comments about the connection between the report and the commercial fishing industry.
The Observer interpreted those comments as a criticism of the funding behind the report.
However, Mr Zussino contacted the Observer to say he had no objection to the way the report was funded.
He said his criticism of the report was about the science.
Mr Zussino said he had discussed the connection between the report and the fishing industry to highlight discrepancies over dates of fish sickness reports.
On Friday, he said: "Dr Matt Landos' report has been commissioned by the Gladstone Fishing Research Fund, which has been financially supported by a small group of commercial fishers in the Gladstone harbour to support a compensation action represented by Shine Lawyers and Law Essentials.
"However, the first correspondence from Law Essentials noting wide scale fish health issues is dated 20 May 2011, the day the WBDDP began. This clearly shows even by their own records that the fish health issues started well before GPC's dredging project."
