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.
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