Shelter Brewing supporting LITS
In January Shelter Brewing released a special, keg-only beer in collaboration with Line in the Sand for OzFish Geographe. All money raised will be directed to OzFish’s local project to remove invasive introduced fish species from native waterways in the Vasse region.
IThe Gold Fish Project:
Busselton may be famous for its fishing, but did you know that we are also home to some of the biggest, meanest feral goldfish in the world? Invasive species such as goldfish degrade natural ecosystems and do not belong in our waterways. Feral goldfish of over 40 cm and weighing up to 2 kg have been recorded in the Lower Vasse River (Beatty & Morgan 2008) and since the last removal program in 2013 the population is expected to be booming. Feral goldfish prey on native fish species and compete with them for resources, they also contribute to poor water quality and exacerbate algal blooms by stirring up excess nutrients in sediments (Morgan & Beatty, 2007). The high population of feral goldfish in the Lower Vasse has a serious impact on the immediate ecosystem but also on the Ramsar-listed Vasse-Wonnerup Wetland further downstream, there is a serious risk of this invasive species spreading to other local tributaries which feed into this wetland (Tweedley et al, 2017).
The City of Busselton is currently undertaking major works to improve the overall health of the Lower Vasse River including dredging of sediments and construction of wetlands. This period of renewal is the perfect opportunity to conduct a site-specific invasive species management program to work towards goldfish eradication in the Lower Vasse River. Direct community action to remove goldfish will compliment works done by the city to improve water quality and protect biodiversity.
A feral goldfish found in the Vasse waterways.
The Beer
The beer itself is a hefeweizen with notes of soft pear, banana and wine aromatics and a crisp lemony malt backbone. You can find Shelter's German Wheat on tap at the following South West breweries @shelterbusselton, @rockyridgebrewing, @beerfarm, @cbco_, @margaretriverbrewhouse, @wildhopbeer and @eaglebaybrewingco. Grab a German Wheat and help catch feral goldfish in the Vasse River!.
Thank you again to the South West Brewers Association for supporting Line in the Sand and important environmental projects in our region.
Press Coverage:
https://www.busseltonmail.com.au/story/8060847/local-businesses-launch-new-beer-to-tackle-giant-goldfish-in-south-west-waterways/
