Fire heroes give Eastern Cod population a new start

Motivated landowners have joined together with fishing conservation charity OzFish Unlimited and Landcare Australia to restore habitat of the endangered Freshwater Eastern Cod (Maccullochella ikei).

Two kilometers of the Nymboida river (a perennial stream of the Clarence river catchment) will be recovered where one of the last remaining breeding grounds of a wild population is known to be surviving.

This important work has been made possible by the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery program and OzFish’s major partner BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.

Eastern Freshwater Cod, also known as the Eastern Cod or Clarence River Cod, is a threatened species and is only found in the Clarence and Richmond river catchments of the NSW North Coast. Once prolific throughout the system, the species is now only known to live in isolated parts of the waterway due to habitat degradation, impacts from severe fires, overfishing and introduced species.

During the Black Summer bushfires, the area was decimated, destroying habitat right up to the riverbank. The utter destruction of the area created new issues such as invasive weeds, erosion and the total loss of the riparian zone.

Fish loving landholders, David Faircloth and Alacia Cockbain, are getting stuck into the restoration efforts planting 1,000 natives and undertaking weed control along the riverbank. A kilometre of fencing will also be installed to help protect the restoration site from domestic stock.

“We saw firsthand the catastrophic damage caused to not just the habitat and local wildlife but to the entire ecology of the area,” David said.

“While there are some encouraging signs that things are starting to bounce back, it will require time, and energy by us to ensure this beautiful fish and the local wildlife is protected.

“The bulk of their diet are crustaceans and other fish and insects, which is why restoring the riparian zone is so vital for their survival,” he said.

Dedicated OzFish volunteers will spend three days on site in March to help remove weeds and plant the native trees and shrubs along the restoration site.

Eastern freshwater cod are still in danger of extinction. The recovery of the species relies on an ongoing concerted effort like these to ensure they continue to survive.

The Landcare Australia Aquatic Wildlife Habitat Bushfire Program is funded by the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery program.