Earthquake in Banda Sea felt across the Top End

A local fishing expert has revealed how Friday morning’s earthquake may impact this weekend’s fishing adventures.

An earthquake in the Banda Sea shook some Top Enders awake in the early hours of Friday morning.
And a fishing expert has said the tremor may impact this weekend’s fishing trips.

The magnitude 5.1 tremor was felt across Darwin and Palmerston suburbs after it was reported at 1.54am and comes just three weeks after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was recorded in the same area and months after dual earthquakes hit near Timor Leste and Tennant Creek.

Fishing guru Alex Julius said whether or not the fish were biting was impacted by many factors.

“I’d imagine an earthquake would affect the bed of the sea or the river but I’m only hypothesising,” he said.

“Tidal movements, currents and depending on conditions of waves would probably have more impact on fish than an earthquake.”

Mr Julius thought a brief earthquake like the one experienced on Friday morning would do little to hinder fishermen’s attempts at reeling one in this weekend.

“Given the water movement is impacted on by so many things - a brief earthquake I don’t think the fish wouldn’t bother worrying about,” he said.

Mr Julius said fishermen who weren’t able to catch anything may be using the earthquake as an excuse, like the fabled banana curse.

“It might be like the theory that you can’t catch fish when there’s a banana in your boat,” he said.

“Fishermen are always blaming other things.”

With little research done about the impact of tremors on the likelihood of catching fish, Mr Julius said there was even a chance the fish could be easier to catch this weekend.

“Sometimes natural events cause the fish to bite more,” he said.

“After Cyclone Tracy the fish went crazy in Darwin.”
Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Dr Trevor Allen said he believed an impact to schools of fish would only occur if there was risk of a tsunami.
“These earthquakes are quite deep so it is highly unlikely that there will be any impacts on the ocean floor that will affect the waterways,” he said.
“I’m not aware of any studies that have been done explicitly to look at the effects on earthquake shaking on fish and wildlife.”

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the earthquake had hit in the ocean northwest of Timor Leste but there was no tsunami threat.

No #tsunami threat to Australia from #earthquake felt in Dawin (magnitude 5.1 near Banda Sea). See https://t.co/Tynv3ZQpEq. pic.twitter.com/mG6N9cKtbD

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) September 1, 2022

Geoscience Australia reported more getting than 100 reports of seismic activity.

However NT Police said no call outs to major incidents were required.

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook Darwin on Friday September 2. Picture: Supplied

Top Enders who felt the shaking took to social media to share concerns and where they were when it happened.

“Thought it was the dogs knocking the recliner. Nope. They are snoring on the couch opposite me. My recliner felt like a bloody show ride,” Angie White wrote.

“We had rattling windows in Moulden,” Jen Nicholson said.
Mary Forbes and Justine Clason said the shaking felt “more intense” than previous ones.

According to some Facebook users it was felt as far south as Lake Bennett.