Wetlands Australia National Wetlands Update 2012
Issue No. 20, February 2012
ISSN 1446-4843
Connecting freshwater ecosystems and increasing tourism value
Flinders River (Southern Gulf of Carpentaria) pre-cast concrete cone fishway. This is located on the estuarine/freshwater interface, enabling free passage for many key recreational fish species, such as juvenile barramundi (Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation).
Tim Marsden and Matthew Moore, Fisheries Queensland - Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
Fish habitat rehabilitation projects are currently being undertaken from the southern Gulf of Carpentaria area throughout north Queensland and into central Queensland. These projects are important to enhance the productivity of Queensland's fisheries and play an important role in improving overall ecosystem biodiversity. The rehabilitation of these aquatic eco-systems brings fish, birds and other wildlife back into the area, creating many opportunities for recreational fishing and wildlife watching.
Fish habitat rehabilitation
Fish habitat rehabilitation involves constructing fishways on barriers that prevent or delay fish migration to important upstream habitats. The removal of weed infestations is also an important rehabilitation tool used to restore important habitat values of wetlands. Barriers to fish passage include culverts, pipes, road crossings, weed chokes, weirs and dams. Barriers affect fish communities by preventing the movement of fish species which require free passage between aquatic environments to fulfil a number of key life stage requirements. This movement is essential for:
- maintaining populations of diadromous (migratory) species, which require free passage between freshwater and marine habitats for reproduction purposes i.e. barramundi, sea mullet and mangrove jack
- maintaining genetic diversity
- the migration of adults to access habitats for feeding and reproduction purposes
- the migration of juvenile fish species to reach upstream nursery habitats.
The rehabilitation of wetlands and maintenance of connectivity between freshwater and marine ecosystems has brought more fish back into these habitats, as well as other wildlife including birds and ducks. This has provided a great opportunity for recreational fishers and wildlife watchers.
The Sheep Station system
Sandringham Lagoon, Mackay, Central Queensland after weed removal (Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation).
Fisheries Queensland is currently working with North Queensland Dry Tropics to install fishways throughout the Sheep Station Creek system around Ayr.
Ensuring connectivity between estuaries, rivers and freshwater wetlands is a particular concern, as these are major fish habitats. A large proportion of popular estuarine recreational fish species (such as barramundi, mangrove jack, tarpon and sea mullet) rely on these habitats during their juvenile stages. It is therefore critical that these highly productive areas are utilised to maintain and enhance eco-system biodiversity and to provide sustainable recruitment to estuarine and marine environments.
Recreational fishers in the greater Burdekin area have voiced their concerns about declining stocks of key recreational fish species and the high number of barriers preventing fish passage. This has helped highlight the impact of barriers and assisted in directing funds into barrier rehabilitation projects such as the one undertaken on Sheep Station Creek.
Weed infestation and barriers to migration are key concerns as they reduce the habitat available to these species and negatively affect the productivity of these systems.
In order to reduce this concern, an ongoing weed reduction program conducted by Burdekin Regional Council and North Burdekin Water Board has opened up significant wetlands areas, increasing the number of fish and wildlife in the area.
The future
Fisheries Queensland and North Queensland Dry Tropics are constructing fishways at several barriers in the Sheep Station Creek catchment to allow fish to migrate back into the habitat created by the weed removal. This project is ongoing with construction at three sites recently completed. It is hoped that over the coming years all the barriers within this system will have fish passage provided at them, enabling fish movement and enhancing tourism opportunities such as recreational fishing and bird watching.
For further information call Fisheries Queensland on 13 25 23 or visit:
