NATIVE FISH POPULATIONS STUDIED - MURRAY/DARLING

[Derek Bullock]

Primary Industries & Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk

25/03/05


Native fish populations studied in the Murray-Darling Basin

A major research project is studying native fish in the Murray-Darling Basin to learn more about their movements upstream and downstream and between different floodplain environments.

Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said the two-year project being funded by the Murray Darling Basin Commission at a cost of more than 480,000 would involve sampling, tagging and real-time monitoring of a range of lesser known native fish species.

"Most of the fish sampled in the program will be fitted with micro tags while some selected species will also be fitted with radio transmitters to help track their movements," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"This will assist in determining their habitat access needs, triggers to movements and whether or not there is movement between the main river channel, anabranches, tributaries, lagoons and other floodplain habitats.

"Researchers in the freshwater fisheries research team from the DPI&F's Southern Fisheries Centre, Deception Bay are collecting and tagging a range of fish, including carp gudgeons, olive perchlets, hardyheads, rainbowfish and bony bream.

"Specimens of the Hyrtl's catfish in the Condamine River, spangled perch and possibly juvenile golden perch may also be tagged," Mr Palaszczuk said.

The team would also look at changes in densities of fish between reaches and habitats and use directional traps to assist with interpretation of movement behaviour.

DPI&F biologist Dr Hutchison said very little was known about the movement requirements of most species apart from some icon angling species like Murray cod.

"Some species may only move small distances or hardly move at all, but it is important to know their movement patterns to improve management of native fish stocks," Dr Hutchison said.

"Results obtained from the sampling and monitoring program are expected to assist restoring native fish populations in the Murray-Darling Basin.

"For example data obtained is expected to lead to improvements in fishway design and construction, and determine the importance of fish access to floodplains.

"Ultimately the health of recreational fisheries may depend on the abundance of the smaller species we are studying. Current research is moving more towards an ecosystem approach to help manage fisheries," Dr Hutchison said:

Mr Palaszczuk said the program would also provide information on the effectiveness of monitoring of different species of fish using a range of methods from specialised micro-sized fish tags to radio transmitters."

This project comprises one component of the wide-ranging report Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin 2003-2013 that was released in 2003 by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

Mr Palaszczuk said anyone who caught or found tagged fish or species equipped with a small transmitter should advise DPI&F of the location where the fish was taken, and, especially so, if taken on the floodplains of the Condamine and Macintyre rivers.

He said that after a flood it is possible landholders may find stranded fish with small coloured tags under their skin.

The DPI&F team will conduct sampling and tracking operations at least four times each year and during some flow and flood events.

Media contact: John Algate 3239 3004 or 0418 197 350

[charexblue]

some reports from Inland Rivers Network mdbc are also interesting am trying hard to get this area included in survey but hot corrupti oops opposition to idea from sensetive areas lol peter