The Current Triple Whammy on our Native Fish
How much more can our fish take and how can you help?
That’s the question being asked by Australia’s passionate recreational fishing community, along with our nation’s many fishing organisations, clubs, groups, industry and peak bodies following a string of natural disasters.
As many fire-affected communities continue to recover and rebuild, there is a constant reminder of the devastating toll that drought, fire and floods have taken on our fish and aquatic life. And it can be seen in our waterways, with record numbers of fish kills, widespread habitat loss plus poor water quality. There are also still places with little to no water where many precious native fish have simply suffocated.
The situation is getting referred to as the ‘triple whammy’ in media reports. We’ve seen one of our worst droughts on record, devastating bushfires and now severe rain events. This will impact our fish like never before.
OzFish and its army of recreational fishers work on critical projects to help Australia’s fish populations recover from some of the following challenges:
BUSHFIRES
What it means for fish and fish habitat during and after a bushfire.
- Ash that is washed into waterways can clog the gills of fish. It also smothers plants and animals which destroys productivity. Excess ash also leads to increased bacterial blooms that consume oxygen in the water.
- Fires destroy plants and trees that provide food for fish, either directly from leaves, flowers, seeds or from the bugs and grubs that fall into waterways.
- The fires also strip the leaves from trees leading to reduce shade which in turn increases water temperature that can be fatal for fish.
DROUGHT
What it means for fish during times of drought.
- Fish need water – it’s that simple! And water flow brings oxygen for fish to breath but when the water stops flowing, fish don’t get the oxygen they need and this leads to fish kills.
- Fish that are surviving in pools will often die after rainfall as these initial flows are full of sediment and organic matter that consumes oxygen.
FLOODS
What it means for fish after heavy rainfall and times of flood.
- Too much water at the wrong time can create large fish kills and destroy fish habitat.
- Heavy rainfall events can cause large amounts of sediment and rotting matter to run into our waterways, reducing water quality for fish by removing the oxygen out of the system and causing fish to suffocate.
At OzFish we are incredibly proud of the rescue efforts undertaken by so many of our OzFish volunteers, our fish need more help to recover now more than ever. And you can help.
OzFish Unlimited is preparing to launch a national appeal to help save our Aussie fish. Right now you can make a difference by donating or by shopping at any BCF store to make a donation.
Help Save Our Native Fish And Donate Now
Your generous support today will help OzFish restore fish habitats across Australia
What else can you do to help?
- Watch and report on the problems occurring to OzFish via our website.
- Help restore the fish habitat lost by becoming an OzFish member.
- Encourage your fishing buddies, particularly in the areas affected to look after our fish habitat.