Don’t Forget About The Little Guys
Sean P. Graham
Let’s chat about the little guys in the water, those small fish we often overlook. In Australia, when people go fishing, they’re usually focused on the big catches like Murray cod and trout cod. But what about the little ones? The ones we call “gudgeons,” “guppies,” or just “white bait”? These small fish might not be the stars of the fishing world, but they sure deserve some attention.
Most of the native fish in Australia are actually small. Take the Murray Darling Basin, for instance. Out of all the fish species there, only about six are big enough to get anglers excited. The rest? They’re these cool little creatures like rainbowfish, hardyheads, galaxias, perchlets, pygmy perches, and gudgeons. What’s wild is that most of these fish are found only in Australia, but sadly, they’re close to extinction. More than half of them in the Basin are threatened or endangered.
Back in the day, anglers used to see these small fish as just something for the bigger fish to eat. They’d catch loads with a small net, using them for bait or even cooking them up. But times have changed. The ecosystem’s been turned upside down, and now a whopping 80-90% of the fish biomass is made up of European carp, an invasive species. These carp have become a big part of the Murray cod’s diet since the small native fish are disappearing.
But there’s hope! OzFish Unlimited is stepping up to help.
They’ve been organizing these “carp musters” where anglers try to catch as many carp as they can. While these events might not put a huge dent in the carp population, they’re awesome for raising awareness. You’d be surprised how many Aussies don’t realize carp are a problem.
OzFish isn’t stopping there. They’re also working to save these small, adorable fish. Braeden Lampard from OzFish has been busy improving habitats in the Murray, like installing “fish motels” for the Murray hardyhead, a small but spunky fish. Lampard loves all fish, big and small, and believes caring for the whole ecosystem is what makes a great angler.
The biggest challenge for these little fish? Water, or the lack of it. The Murray-Darling is heavily regulated, and most of the water goes to human use. This has caused a 90% decline in billabongs and wetlands, which are crucial for the fish. When drought hits, the rivers and reservoirs that remain are often low in oxygen and overrun with carp.
But there’s still hope in places like Oolong Creek near Dalton, NSW. Janet Heffernan from Gunning District Landcare has been working with OzFish for almost 20 years to save the southern pygmy perch. She teams up with volunteers and scientists to improve habitats and conduct surveys. These small fish might not be as noticeable as koalas or birds, but they’re just as important.
Volunteers are key to these conservation efforts. For instance, a recent project introduced a new pygmy perch population to Oolong Creek, supported by a local landowner who had already set up a refuge dam and planted native vegetation.
Up north in the Basin, Harry Davey from OzFish leads several projects to protect these small fish. He’s all about loving the little guys and keeping the river pristine. When the river’s healthy, everything thrives – the small fish, the big fish, and even the fishing experience.
