fish

8 April 2010

A wheely-bin, Astro turf, and a miniature half pipe could be the secret to salvation of Townsville’s eel population.

NQ Dry Tropics, the natural resource management group for the dry tropics, is thinking outside the box when it comes to developing fish passage devices like this one which help native fish bypass dams and weirs.

NQ Dry Tropics Project Manager, Diana O’Donnell, says the eel passage device helps baby eels return to their home because they can’t climb over dam walls.

12 August 2010

There are some rivers in north Queensland where barramundi thrived for centuries but nowadays doesn’t live there anymore.

The same story applies to mangrove jack.

Australia has over 230 native freshwater fish and their numbers have dropped dramatically.

The following is a list of fishes that can be found in the dry tropics region.  Where available, both scientific and common names have been provided.

The following is a list of fishes that can be found in the dry tropics region.  Where available, both scientific and common names have been provided.

Manmade dams, culverts and road crossings throughout Queensland creat road blocks for our local fishes, preventing them from moving up and downstream.

If fish are unable to move to up and downstream habitats, they are unable to survive and reproduce.

This means that fish barriers reduce fish populations.

NQ Dry Tropics is working with partner organisations to install fish passage devices that help fish traverse barriers.

Many iconic Australian animals such as the frilled-neck lizard, eastern grey kangaroo, koala, Irwin’s turtle, black flying fox and the northern hairy nosed wombat are native to the Burdekin dry tropics region.

Over the past number of years, the Lower Burdekin has become a focus for wetland and riparian area protection. NQ Dry Tropics worked in conjunction with WetlandcareAustralia and the Burdekin Shire Council to carry out works in this area – primarily at Sheepstation and Barratta creeks.

Other areas where work was carried out include Plantation, Kalamia and Saltwater Creeks.

The types of work carried out included: weed control, fencing to allow controlled grazing, revegetation, controlled burns and the removal or modification of fish passage barriers.