OzFish undertook fish motel building with the local Landcare group and indigenous youth groups Miyay Birray. Through collaborative efforts and deep-rooted respect for the land, OzFish have sought to weave culture and conservation.
The area bordering waterways, such as riverbanks, is known as the ‘riparian zone’. The presence of native trees and vegetation in this zone is important to the stability of the riverbank, water quality and native fish populations.
OzFish delivers many riparian restoration projects across Australia – working with local communities and organisations to create healthy habitats and lasting legacies.
Trees for Fish Projects
Oz Fish has been working to restore 650m of riparian zone along Rocky and Little Rocky Creek to improve the habitat for native fish species.
OzFish Unlimited has restored 7 hectares along the Nymboida River. Hosted two community engagement and educational days, brought volunteers together to plant 1000 native trees to increase resistance and resilience to fire and flooding on the riparian zone.
The Dunedoo-Coolah Landcare Community Event successfully engaged the public in planting native trees and hosting a fishing clinic for children along the Talbragar River as part of an initiative to restore the river's ecosystem and improve habitats for native fish and wildlife.
OzFish Hawkesbury Nepean Chapter, Wallacia progress Association, Penrith City Council and the Hawkesbury Nepean Landcare Network aim to restore a popular section of the Nepean riverbank in Wallacia and hold a responsible fishing event to educate participants on eco-friendly fishing practices.
OzFish Unlimited, and partners propose to restore two degraded stretches of the Hunter River through riparian restoration and re-establishment of large woody fish habitat. The project will involve multiple community planting and education events, fish hotel building workshops, and citizen ...
In partnership with Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare, the OzFish Coffs Harbour chapter got together on a rainy afternoon to repair a local wetland to support native fish. Activities on the day included the removal of environmental weeds, the planting of 150 native trees and the removal of ...
OzFish Unlimited has restored 3 hectares of the riparian zone along the Nymboida River following the devastating 2019-2020 Black summer bush fires that burnt throughout the system. Removal of privet, lantana and other exotic weeds has been undertaken to reduce competition with native plants. ...
Lake Macquarie's delicate saltmarsh communities have faced threats due to coastal development and land reclamation. This development has resulted in significant losses, impacting the fishery. In response, OzFish Unlimited’s Lake Macquarie Chapter set up the Styles Point Saltmarsh Restoration ...
OzFish Unlimited, through the support of the Foundation for National Parks and their ‘Healing Our Lands’ global appeal, and Macleay Valley Landcare began the much needed recovery process to rejuvenate Sherwood Creek following the destruction caused by bushfires.
The OzFish Eurobodalla Chapter has been working with South-East Local Land Services and Eurobodalla Landcare to remove wandering trad using a novel biocontrol approach and re-establish native vegetation at a popular campground near Shallow Crossing.
This project will see young people restoring river health and habitat for wildlife by planting trees along waterways, making fish hotels for threatened fish species, restoring wetlands, collecting rubbish and designing and implementing a litter prevention project for their local river.
Why are native trees so important to the health of rivers?
Native trees have root structures that either bore down or spread out, creating intricate and strong foundations that help maintain the structural integrity of riverbanks. Without roots anchoring the bank together, it is more likely to collapse.
Eroding banks cause significant negative impacts on fish habitat, including removing overhanging vegetation that provides food and shade to fish in the river. The sediment they create also smothers snags and shelter spots, as well as causing water quality issues.
Riparian zones are sometimes referred to as biofilters, as they remove excess nutrients, pollution and sediment from water before it enters the river. An excess amount of nutrients can result in the growth of algae and algal bloom, which takes oxygen away from fish.
Trees bordering rivers also provide an important source of food and shelter for fish.
They create shade corridors, enabling the fish to move more freely for activities such as mating, and insects that drop from overhanging branches provide food.
OzFish is also involved in the removal of invasive weeds and vegetation, before replacing them with native trees and plants. Invasive species can be very harmful to an area, including contributing to drought by absorbing more water than the area can sustain to lose.
Volunteer with Us
Join our community of volunteers who share our determination to restore fish habitat across Australia.
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Donate today to support our mission to restore our inland waterways through community-driven participation and ownership.
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We all have a role to play
There are many factors that contribute to the damage of riparian zones, many of them caused by humans. This includes grazing and trampling by livestock, gravel extraction for use in construction, and the creation of paths close to the riverbank, that result in native vegetation being removed.
So, please get involved in one of our many ‘Trees for Fish’ projects across Australia. By volunteering for a few hours and planting some trees, you’ll be doing your bit to combat erosion of the riverbank, provide food and shelter for native fish, and ensure that the future of fishing in your area is sustainable.
Strong, stable and healthy riverbanks provide better access to the water. Water which will be of better quality and home to more fish.