Bendigo community to have its say about the future of local fish habitat 

Recreational fishers and members of the wider community will be able to hear about fishing habitat restoration in Bendigo and share their thoughts at an upcoming event. 

OzFish, Australia’s recreational fishing charity, will be hosting a Fisher Forum in Bendigo on Saturday 23 July, at 1pm. The free event will be held at the National Hotel Complex and will include guest speakers from OzFish, VRFish, North Central Catchment Authority, and Oodonata.  

The focus will be on how to restore and protect healthy fish habitats and topics will include fish passage barriers, eDNA, woody habitat installation and riparian restoration. Attendees will learn how these areas all positively impact aquatic life ecosystems and how they can help play a role.

Dr Sophie Pryor, OzFish Project Manager, believes that community engagement and participation are a key part of protecting and restoring local waterways. 

“There are many problems facing fish habitat and we know effective river management is key to our restorative efforts,” says Dr Pryor. 

“When local communities are informed and involved in these projects, we can achieve more as there is greater input and access to resources.

“These waterways are important for local communities, fishers, and native fish and vegetation. Together, we can work towards reversing the negative effects caused by degradation to improve the health of our waterways,” said Dr Pryor.

The OzFish Fisher Forum is a free event, with afternoon tea provided at the end. If you would like to have your say about future waterway restoration projects in Bendigo, register online to attend.