Victorian habitat heroes set to roll up and get dirty
It’s been all systems go for OzFish volunteers in Victoria as 2023 gets underway.
Mangrove planting
Mangroves and saltmarshes are critical coastal ecosystems that act as nursery grounds for many of the species of fish we all love to catch. Protecting and restoring them has a key role to play in supporting Australian fisheries and our coastal systems, especially in globally important wetlands like Westernport.
Volunteers have been rolling up their sleeves across multiple projects in Westernport, planting over 1500 across two sites, near Rhyll and along the Hastings foreshore.
These will not only provide juvenile fish with a safe space to live and feed before they head into deeper waters but also help to protect the coastline against extreme weather events and reduce soil erosion. Recent research has shown that restored mangrove areas start providing many of the benefits of established mangroves very early in their recovery, and these young mangroves will be monitored as they develop and grow by local OzFishers to get an understanding of the long-term success.
Reef balls and bivalves
In a new approach to fish habitat restoration and enhancement, OzFishers in collaboration with the Leopold Aquatic and Angling Club, recently deployed more than 500kgs of recycled shells in a trial project aimed at enhancing existing fish habitat infrastructure.
Using recycled shells to “fill the gaps” of an existing artificial reef made up of concrete reef balls, the recycled shell will help to establish a larger reef footprint, providing better fishing opportunities and increasing habitat diversity.
Thanks to Leopold Aquatic and Angling Club and Bellarine Fishing Charters for the support in delivering this project and helping to reinvigorate our Geelong Chapter. There’s a lot more coming up this year to get excited about so stay tuned.