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Issue: Response of biota - Fish

This is an issue under the Inland waters theme of the Data Reporting System.

Why we need to know about this issue

The health of populations and communities of native fish species is critical to the overall health of the aquatic system. Fish occupy trophic levels from top predators down to herbivores and detritivores and play a vital role in maintaining the ecological integrity of river ecosystems. Fish species may be affected by a range of pressures including significant changes to water flow, damage to riparian zones, removal of in-stream habitats, sedimentation, lowered water quality, thermal pollution and barriers to fish passage.

Indicators

• IW-11 Number of licences dams, weirs, regulators and levees 
  Dams and weirs reduce the connectivity of rivers and streams, which interfere with the dispersal and movement of fish species. Number of weirs and dam is a crude but direct measure of this interference.
• IW-28 Number of effective fishways 
  Barriers to fish passage is one reason for a decline in fish abundance and distribution. Fishways can address this problem. Number of effective fishways would be indicative of improvements in this aspect of the management of inland waters.
• IW-31 Fish - Abundance and distribution 
  Declines in abundance and distribution are indicative of declines in the overall viability of a species. A decline in fish communities also provides a warning that the natural ecological functioning of the aquatic system is at risk.

Related issues

• Inland Waters - Habitat scale influences- Fish passage 
• Inland Waters - Habitat scale influences- In-stream habitat - woody debris and sand slugs 
• Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Ecological aspects of river flow regimes 
• Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Connectivity - dams, weirs, regulators and levees