Legal action threat over toxic harbour

WITH its sparkling blue waters, iconic bridge and stunning Opera House, Sydney Harbour is regarded as one of the most beautiful waterways in the world.

But decades of industrial pollution have taken a toll, prompting the state government yesterday to offer free blood tests to fishermen who fear they may have been poisoned by dioxins.

Commercial fishing in the world-famous harbour was banned in January after tests found that bream and prawns had unacceptable levels of dioxin.