Tarcutta Creek is a southern tributary of the Murrumbidgee River Catchment had suffered for years. It was when the eroding banks significantly reduced the remaining fish habitat by undermining the overhanging bank vegetation and smothering snags and microhabitats nearby with sediment that OzFish Wagga Chapter wanted to help.
OzFish members are working together with landowners and Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group to restore the riparian vegetation along Hordon’s Lagoon. The project will plant native vegetation corridors, install riparian protection fencing and host community planting days.
Once completed it is expected that the local ecosystem will be enhanced, water quality improved and valuable habitat for many terrestrial and aquatic species established.
Sunraysia OzFish and key stakeholders utilised their collective expertise and equipment to map all woody habitats that are located within two vital off-stream waterways, Frenchman’s creek and Rufus River, which are tributaries to the Murray River.
OzFish Unlimited volunteers, farmers and community members have worked together during the summer of 2020 in an emergency fish rescue operation in one of our nation’s most significant river systems – the Lower Darling.
Adelaide’s metropolitan coastline has lost over 6000Ha of seagrass meadows. These meadows are a nursery ground for baby snapper and other sea life. OzFish together with leading scientists are bringing these beautiful meadows back to help our fisheries.
OzFishers are working with NRM South, the University of Tasmania, and a local landholder to help restore this incredibly important Ramsar wetland and improve fish habitat. Pitt Water – Orielton Lagoon is a Ramsar listed wetland which supports a whole range of birds, fish, and other aquatic species. Researchers have found many fish species in Tasmanian saltmarshes including yellow-eyed mullet, greenback flounder and Australian salmon.
Volunteers from OzFish Unlimited have teamed up with students from the Sunraysia Institute of TAFE to save critically endangered native fish that were in desperate need to be relocated.
OzFish and Landcare Australia have joined forces to help threatened species which suffered from the Black Summer fires thanks to the Landcare Australia Aquatic Wildlife Habitat Bushfire Program.
Fishers and farmers
OzFish Tweed River Chapter and Tweed Landcare Inc are working with cattle farmers on the Tweed River, near Byangum and its canoe launching point. Together they will be removing weeds and planting over 1000 trees along their riparian zone and fencing it to keep the cattle out. This reach of the Tweed River is renowned by local fishers for its Australian Bass.
OzFish Lismore Chapter and Whian Whian Landcare, along with Northern Cooperative Meat Company and Lismore City Council’s Landholder Initiative are working together with beef cattle farmers on Rocky Creek to provide easily accessible water for cattle to stop their access to the Creek and revegetate with natives to kick-start its restoration. Once known to be the last population of the Richmond River’s wild Eastern Cod population, it is also home to Australian Bass, Firetail Gudgeon, and Cox’s Gudgeon, and even platypus.
OzFish members recently planted 360 native trees on Brunswick River in Northern NSW to revegetate the riverbanks bordering two properties along Main Arm Road. OzFish volunteers worked with community groups Brunswick Valley Landcare & Replant Byron to help reinvigorate the local ecosystem and improve habitat for native fish.
Locals got to work planting native trees and shrubs to the area including lilly pilly, sandpaper fig and lomandra, which will stabilise eroded areas and enhance the overall health and habitat values for native fish populations and other wildlife.
Trees for fish
OzFish Unlimited has partnered with Manning Landcare and private landowners on the Manning River to improve native fish habitat by planting trees on the riverbank.
The project site is about 13 kilometres upstream from Taree near where Burrell Creek meets the Manning. Weed removal and planting of 400 native trees along the riverbank has occurred and is expected to help restore the fish habitat.
The next stage of the project will increase the coverage of native vegetation, with more weeds removed further enhancing the natural biodiversity of the site. Invasive weeds will often outcompete native plants along Australia’s waterways preventing or slowing the natural biodiversity recovery potential along rivers and creeks.
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