The Great Mullet Cook Up fires up river action
The mullet sizzled, and the sound of yarns about the river filled the air on Saturday, July 19, as the Clarence Valley and Richmond Catchment locals gathered at Harwood Boat Ramp for the return of The Great Mullet Cook Up.
This event signalled a call to arms for the health of two neighbouring rivers, the Clarence and the Richmond, which were both devastated by fish kills earlier this year.
Commercial and recreational fishers joined forces with OzFish and a host of local groups to highlight the river’s decline and the practical steps that can be taken to turn it around.
A taste of collaboration
With a backdrop of fresh local fillets fried by commercial fisher Graeme Loy, the event served up river-saving insights, straight from those who know these waterways best.
“There’s a lot of history behind the mullet cook-up and the commercial fishing community’s connection to these wetlands,” said Loy. “A few of the older generation still remember what worked and what went wrong with flood mitigation. For the past 40 years, our industry has copped the blame for fish declines, when in reality, it’s the overuse of land and destruction of habitat that’s done the most damage. We’ve always tried to fish sustainably and educate people about what we do. I genuinely believe that if all the stakeholders came together, we could start fixing what’s been broken.”
From fish kills to fresh starts
OzFish Project Manager Ms. Zoe White is on the frontline of habitat recovery across the Clarence and Richmond catchments and had some inspiring words to share about the current state of affairs.
“Our rivers have been through a lot this year,” she said. “We’ve had floods, fish kills, and water quality problems. It’s still not doing very good. Our projects to restore the salt marsh, mangroves, oyster reefs and swamps along the Clarence and Richmond are underway and helping to improve fisheries productivity. We’ve also done a lot of work getting trees back on riverbanks. But there’s always more to be done, and we need to work together to help bring our fish back after events like the recent fish kill.”
Voices that matter
Local MP Janelle Saffin joined the event to hear directly from the community, while Clarence MP Richie Williamson, though unable to attend, offered his support. With representatives from the Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-op, Harwood Fishing Club, and local Traditional Owners also part of the conversation, the event was a place where meaningful conversations could happen to find solutions.
“These pics aren’t just a bunch of people feasting on fresh sea mullet on the Clarence River, said OzFish CEO Cassie Price. “What you’re seeing here is a river community standing together to more deeply understand and invoke change for their river. A collective call for a reversal of historical coastal floodplain management that is destroying our rivers and our fish, one flood event at a time.”
How positive change is happening
Floodplain wetlands and tidal habitats are the nursery grounds for the Clarence and Richmond rivers. When these places suffer, so do fish and the entire ecosystem. These rivers’ recent blackwater events and fish kills are just symptoms of longer-term issues.
Luckily, we can turn things around because habitat restoration will make a massive difference to our fish stocks. Actions such as saltmarsh regeneration, restoring wetland function, riverbank tree planting, and rebuilding oyster reefs can easily turn the river’s fortunes around.
As the crowd enjoyed eating the mullet and the conversations flowed, it’s clear the community has made a united stand for the future of the Clarence and Richmond Rivers.