26 September 2023

Fish kills feared to go up a scale

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The NSW Department of Primary Industry (DPI) is to combat the likelihood of ‘fish kills’ this summer if the drought continues, unveiling a $10 million program to rescue and restock fish communities to protect native species.

The Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshal described the plan as “bold and unprecedented”, likening it to Noah’s Ark to save the fish and avoid an ecological disaster.

Mr Marshall said that without significant rainfall in the next month, the State would almost certainly be in for a horror summer of fish kills.

“I’m not going to mince words – the situation we are facing this summer is nothing short of a potential fish Armageddon,” Mr Marshall said.

“We’re in the midst of the worst drought on record, with record low rainfall, record low inflows into our river systems and high temperatures predicted over the coming months,” he said.

“We’re facing a perfect storm, which could result in wide-scale fish kill events this summer that are even more significant than those we saw in Menindee earlier this year.”

Mr Marshall said DPI would immediately embark on the largest-ever fish rescue and restocking program to protect native fish species.

He said the plan included a breeding program for the Murray Cod and other native species; artificial aeration, oxygenation and chemical treatments to support water quality; and a $4 million expansion of DPI’s flagship Fisheries Hatchery and Research Centre in Narrandera.

He said the final stage of the plan would be the largest restocking program in history of rescued and bred native fish once normal water conditions return to the State.

“For the first time ever, we’ll be partnering with recreational fishing clubs and private hatcheries across the State to tackle this looming problem head on,” Mr Marshall said.

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