Native Fish Strategy

The vision of the Native Fish Strategy (NFS) is to ensure that viable fish communities and populations are sustained throughout the rivers of the Murray–Darling Basin. (Click here to the view the Native Fish Strategy or a summary of the strategy.)

The goal of the strategy is to rehabilitate native fish communities in the Basin back to 60% of their estimated pre-European-settlement levels, after 50 years of implementation. The Native Fish Strategy has been in place since 2004. Experts estimated that levels at that time were about 10% of those pre-European-settlement.

Native fish species in the Basin have suffered serious decline in both distribution and abundance since European settlement. A variety of factors have contributed to this decline, including habitat deterioration, predation and competition from alien fish, reduction of water quality, and human-made barriers to fish movement.

The strategy provides guidance for investing funds (but is not a source of funds), and assigning priorities, responsibilities and evaluation procedures for fish research and development programs; on-ground implementation programs; construction programs for fishways; and community education and awareness programs.

For further information on the development and initial implementation of the Native Fish Strategy, see ‘Supporting documents’.

News and events

Native Fish Awareness Week –Habitat makes fish happen! (5 - 12 November 2011)

Native Fish Awareness Week 2011 calendar

Habitat makes fish happen! is this year's theme for Native Fish Awareness Week. Recreational fishing is our focus and we'll be launching Talking fish—a collection of stories, photos and anecdotes about what the fishing was like across the Basin over the last five decades. In addition we will be hosting events across the Basin including fishing competitions, fish-tagging and fish research forums. There will also be school-based fishing clinics, tree planting days and community meetings. For information about your local area select your relevant state or territory (Qld, Nthn NSW, Sthn NSW & ACT, Vic, SA) or for general information about native fish contact the Native Fish Strategy team at the MDBA.

Native Fish Forum – people, fish and flows (18 & 19 October 2011)

People, fish and flows is the theme for this year's Native Fish Forum—a showcase of new science in aquatic rehabilitation. Researchers from across Australia will be presenting on a range of topics from fish friendly infrastructure to connecting with recreational fishers and alien fish management. Supported by MDBA's Native Fish Strategy Program, this year's forum will be held in Canberra at the National Convention Centre. Places are limited and bookings are essential via nfs@mdba.gov.au, there are no registration costs. This years program can be viewed by following this link [ Word].

Native Fish Forum in Canberra, abstracts available
MDBA hosted the 2010 Native Fish Forum in Canberra to promote new science in aquatic restoration. The forum was held on 15–16 September at the National Museum of Australia. The agenda and program abstract is available here.

Murray fishways win more praise

The Sea to Hume Dam fishways program has been selected as one of the top 25 Australasian ecological restoration projects by a panel set up by the journal Ecological Management & Restoration. Read more about the successes of the program, and also see the article in our e-letter Basin News.