Wimmera native fish recovery program
Jarod Lyon, ARI, with blackfish from Mt Zero Channel
Delivering on the objectives of the Wimmera Native Fish Management Plan 2022, Wimmera CMA implemented two significant fish translocation activities.
A River Blackfish ‘Wirrup’ project involved translocating fish from Mt Zero Channel, an ecologically inappropriate waterway where some of the species had been trapped, to a nearby stretch of MacKenzie River – a tributary of the Wimmera River that receives environmental-water allocations and is an historically natural home of the fish.
Collaborators in the project included Arthur Rylah Institute, Barengi Gadjin Land Council and Native Fish Australia’s Wimmera branch and support from GWM Water.
Translocation of 60 adult fish from the Mt Zero Channel, included both males and pregnant females, happened in October and Wimmera CMA completed a follow-up survey in March to establish success of the project. The survey confirmed the translocated fish were fit and healthy. Based on this initial success, planning commenced for another translocation to capture brood stock for breeding in 2024-25.
Wimmera CMA also collaborated with partners to prepare one of the Wimmera’s ecological wetlands for the release and surrogacy of rare small-bodied Murray Darling Basin fish – Olive Perchlet and Southern Purple-spotted Pygmy Perch.
Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Sam Fawke and Wimmera CMA’s Deb Nitschke help Horsham St Brigid’s College students prepare native fish for release into a Wimmera wetland.
Funded by the Murray Darling Basin Authority, this opportunistic project involved Victorian Fisheries Authority, Yarrilinks Landcare Network, a land manager and Barengi Gadjin Land Council. The CMA also invited the involvement of year-nine students from Horsham’s St Brigid’s College. The surrogacy project was an extension of similar activities in neighbouring CMA regions also part of the Murray Darling Basin.
Project leaders began planning further releases of Murray Darling Basin species into other Wimmera wetlands as well as a Wimmera Southern Pygmy Perch project in future years.
Investment
Wimmera CMA funded River Blackfish translocation, including $28,115 for ARI translocation activities and managed costs to cover time, permits and plants into the wetland surrogacy project.
