Saltwater Creek Fish Surveys, Cairns

Nestled within a bustling residential estate just north of Cairns Central Business District, the Saltwater Creek catchment is a vibrant urban ecosystem teeming with life. With its mix of residential areas, public spaces, and remnant natural habitats, this catchment holds significance for the local community. In an exciting development, the Albanese Labor Government has announced a significant investment of $1.5 million to enhance the health of Saltwater Creek, reflecting a commitment to preserving local waterways and protecting native species. The announcement came on World Environment Day, an international day dedicated to promoting global and local awareness and action to protect our environment.

A  team of  recreational fishers and researchers spent two days collecting baseline data on fish populations in the Saltwater Creek catchment to help understand our fish and environmental impacts. Recreational fishers put their castnetting skills to good use to monitor fish in Saltwater Creek. Saltwater Creek and other small coastal catchments in Cairns contain some of the highest diversity of native fish found in urban waters in Australia. The project team sampled eight sites across the catchment, including saltwater and freshwater environments. Volunteers used cast nets to collect fish and prawns.

A local citizen science project announced today for the Saltwater Creek urban catchment north of Cairns’ CBD will use fish surveys to improve urban waterway management through the help of recreational anglers. OzFish Project Manager for North & Far North QLD, Dr Geoffrey Collins said the invitation to engage anglers in citizen science acknowledges the value of the local recreational fishing community and their passion to see better urban water management.he project, titled “Saltwater Creek Waterway Management Plan” got the green light after receiving a Community Environment Program (CEP) grant. The project is a collaboration between Cairns Regional Council, James Cook University, Wet Tropics Waterways and Australia’s fishing conservation