Trout Anglers unite to help save a highly endangered native fish species that is only found in this area. 

Saturday 19th June 2009 saw a collection of zealous trout anglers working side by side with 

scientists from DSE, The Arthur Rylah Institute and the Murray Darling Basin Authority 

who gathered to reconstruct the bushfire affected area around Leary’s Creek, which runs 

through Marysville. 

 

A press release issued by DSE stated: 

"Marysville turns out to help Victoria’s ‘Nemo’ 

One of Australia’s most endangered and Victoria’s only endemic, freshwater fish will get a boost tomorrow as the Victorian Government joins the Australian Trout Foundation and Marysville Youth Incorporated in  restoring a creek affected by the 2009 bushfires. 

Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI) Fish Ecologist Fern Hames said the aim of the Native Revegetation Planting Day is to benefit the Barred Galaxias (Galaxias fuscus) and will focus on Leary’s Creek next to Gallipoli Oval in Marysville tomorrow morning. 

“The 2009 bushfires removed a lot of the vegetation around the creek, reducing water quality by allowing more silt and ash into the creek and removing important habitat and food sources for the rare fish,” Ms Hames said. “The Victorian Government acted in the aftermath of the fires to protect the remaining Barred Galaxias by funding the capture of hundreds of fish at 8 sites and moving them to DSE’s Arthur Rylah Institute research aquarium at Heidelberg. 

“We know there are still some Barred Galaxias in Leary’s Creek but we need this type of revegetation work to occur to help it recover sufficiently to support the return of the fish we removed more than a year ago. “This recovery action has been vital for the survival of this already rare species because 90 per cent of its known habitat has been affected by either the 2006 or the 2009 bushfires. 

“The fires also damaged the predator barrier in Leary’s Creek but this has since been repaired. The barrier stops predator fish from moving into the section of Leary’s Creek used by the Barred Galaxias and having an impact on this rare fish. 

“The Barred Galaxias is known from only 12 key, small population’s world-wide and all of these populations are from a small area of Victoria which we are working to protect. “We are grateful for the strong support of the Australian Trout Foundation in recovery actions for Barred Galaxias, including tomorrow’s revegetation day at Marysville.” 

 

Over thirty people turned up to plant trees along the creek course and with so many hands, it was light work. Our entire project was completed within two to three hours. A light barbecue lunch and our day was complete. 

 

The Australian Trout Foundation is committed to assist wherever possible to maintain the viability of our Native fish species and we hope that this small yet significant project is the first of many. We would also like to congratulate the members of DSE, MDBA, and Arthur Rylah Institute who have gone out of their way to workside by side with the ATF; it truly is a great sign for the future. 

 

Click the "Fishers for Fish Habitat" image at right to watch a short video of the project.

 

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