OzFish is dedicated to helping local recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries. They partner with members and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways.
Local recreational fishers have long been concerned with the health of these waterways along with the wider community. The OzFish Chapter aims to strengthen these iconic waterways which hold significant cultural, ecological and social values from the ground up through grassroots habitat restoration initiatives. The traditional custodians of the land, sea and waterways in the Peel-Harvey region are the Wajuk and Pinjarup people.
Every new member will receive an OzFish cap, sticker, facemasks and a $10 BCF Gift Card courtesy of our major partner.
Throughout the Peel-Harvey catchment, excess nutrients have caused an increase in the growth of microorganisms, particularly filamentous algae, that have begun to cover much of the natural hard surfaces and reduced the area that the local shellfish can inhabit.
As a result, the volume of mussels inhabiting jetty structures has decreased, particularly in the local canal systems which don’t always get strong tidal flows. This has contributed to the resident population of black bream’s diet shifting from high-calorie prey towards an algae-based diet.
Western Australia’s iconic freshwater crayfish, locally known as marron, will soon get a habitat upgrade in the state’s south-west.
The project is already underway with the aim to utilise repurposed tree trucks from road construction at sites along the Harvey River and other locations of the South-West to create much-needed habitat for the crayfish.
The OzFish Chapter has some exciting project ideas to improve the loss of fish habitat in the three major rivers of the Peel-Harvey Estuary. These include:
Summer days in Mandurah are spent wading in the brackish water with a crab scoop in hand searching for holes in the sand and the striking blue pincers of the blue swimmer crab.
However, the Peel-Harvey is not only known for great crabbing. Around the Dawesville Cut you can hook juvenile salmon, tailor, herring, King George whiting, the occasional squid and yellowfin whiting. The Serpentine and Murray Rivers offer up quality bream, and the Harvey River has great trout and marron fishing.
It is the aim of the Peel-Harvey Chapter to help conserve habitats for these fisheries for future generations.
Private jetties and pontoons in the Peel Harvey region in WA are set to be the focus of a innovative fish habitat project as fishing conservation charity OzFish Unlimited launches their latest shellfish restoration project.
Australia’s fishing conservation charity, OzFish Unlimited today launched their newest Chapter to make fish habitat a priority in Western Australia with the inclusion of the Peel-Harvey Chapter. The Peel-Harvey region is a popular tourist destination just an hour’s drive south of Perth and is home to the largest and most complex estuarine system in the southwest of Western Australia. These waters attract recreational fishers to target iconic species such as the blue swimmer crab, black bream, and yellowfin whiting. In recent years, however, the health of the Peel-Harvey estuary have been in a state of decline, having experienced ongoing water quality issues, devastating fish kills, and erosion of riparian zones.
On 11th May 2021, OzFish Unlimited, Australia’s fastest-growing fishing conservation charity, will be at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club to chat about local fish habitat with speakers from Peel Harvey Catchment Council and Recfishwest. OzFish Unlimited are dedicated to helping recfishers repair the places they love to fish through providing resources and expertise in habitat enhancement and restoration. Come hear the latest work the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council are undertaking to help improve the environmental conditions in our rivers and estuary with the recently announced Three Rivers One Estuary project.
OzFish members enjoy connecting with fellow anglers and the OzFish community across Australia. Many also give their time volunteering hours every year to local projects that protect, restore and revitalise your favourite fishing spots. Acting for local conservation can take on many forms. Sometimes it’s cleaning recycling oyster shells to restore shellfish reefs and sometimes it’s looking at innovative ways to help our habitat regenerate.