The impacts of climate change on native fish numbers in local waterways and what landholders can do to help will be the focus of a Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority forum in Euroa this month.
A Euroa forum will discuss native fish numbers and the fish in farm dams project.
The Fishy Friday Forum will feature Sam Lewis and Professor Nick Bond from Latrobe University who will discuss the findings of the latest Granite Creek fish population counts that took place in Autumn and another due to be completed in mid-November.
This will be followed with a presentation from Goulburn Broken CMA’s Jason Mullins on the Fish in Farm Dams project that partners with local landholders to place small-bodied, threatened native fish in suitable farm dams and wetlands that can be later released into the wild to sustain populations.
Goulburn Broken CMA River Health Officer, Sue Kosch, said Mr Lewis and Professor Bond would share their findings from fish surveys that were recently undertaken on several Granite Creek streams.
“During the Millennium Drought researchers from La Trobe University undertook fish surveys bi-annually on several Granite Creek steams including Honeysuckle, Sevens, Faithful, Castle and Pranjip creeks,” Ms Kosch said.
“As the drought progressed, numbers of native river blackfish and southern pygmy perch declined rapidly, although populations did persist at some sites.
“This year, the sites were surveyed again to assess the current state of these populations. Are the fish still there and are they recovering? Those questions will be answered at this forum.”
Jason Mullins from the Goulburn Broken CMA will then detail the stocking threatened native fish in farm dams and wetlands project that partners with landholders.
“The use of farm dams as refuges for threatened small bodied native fish species has been successfully trialled in Northeast Victoria over the past five years,” Ms Kosch said.
“The intention is to broaden the distribution of these fish, increase populations, genetic diversity and opportunities for re-establishment into the wild as fish are moved from participating farm dams and wetlands to local rivers and streams in the future.”
The event is on Friday 29 November from 10.30am-1.00pm at the Euroa Memorial Oval. A light lunch will be provided. RSVP by 25 November to suek@gbcma.vic.gov.au