Environmental flow revives golden perch in Australia’s Murray Darling Basin

By on February 9, 2015
Darling River in New South Wales. (Credit: Mattinbgn, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0)


The Australian government reports in a recent press release that struggling golden perch and other populations have been bolstered through managing environmental flows in its Murray Darling Basin.

The Goulburn River, one of the basin’s rivers, has experienced a significant increase in many native fish populations due to environmental flow efforts. Environmental flow projects in the area are primarily funded by the Australian government. Other rivers in the Murray Darling Basin are also experiencing fish population increases after many years of decline.

Monitoring of fish populations is done through state-of-the art fish tracking devices that deliver data on fish migration and spawning. Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Victorian Environmental Water Holder together manage environmental flows on the Goulburn River.

The success of environmental flows in the Goulburn River is also good news for the people of the Murray Darling Basin area. Recreational fishing is popular, and healthy fish populations mean support for thousands of local jobs and over a billion dollars for the local economy.

Top image: Darling River in New South Wales. (Credit: Mattinbgn, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0)

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