Response to fish deaths in the Lower Darling

An independent panel was appointed by the Australian Government, to assess fish death events in December 2018 and January 2019. A preliminary report and early advice and recommendations was provided to the Australian Government Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources on 20 February 2019. The final report was released in April 2019, along with a summary of the report findings.

A number of areas across the Basin have been identified as risk areas for fish death events. Basin governments are already implementing actions on the ground to mitigate these risks and respond to the events in the Lower Darling. A recommended action plan was provided to the Australian Government Minister responsible for water in January 2019.

Following the fish death events in the Lower Darling River in December 2018 and January 2019, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority commissioned a comprehensive monitoring program to examine stratification, mixing and dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Lower Darling River.

Following the well documented fish deaths in the lower Darling River in the summer of 2018–19, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority and NSW Department of Primary Industries–Fisheries deployed 10 aerators from November 2019 until March 2020 to provide oxygenated refuges. 

As part of the deployment, a monitoring program was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the aerators, with the findings discussed in this report.