(From left) Dan Hutton, Michael Clark and John Conallin holding the southern pygmy perch and purple-spotted gudgeon.
Photo by
Bryanna Rossow
There was plenty of excitement at the Edward Wakool Angling Association ‘wetlands and people’ breakfast held on December 16.
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The breakfast was held to reflect on and celebrate the achievements of the ‘Living Lagoons’ restoration project, and the partnerships developed over the 10 years that the program has been running.
EWAA scientific advisor John Conallin said the event and project as a whole was about connecting the community to the water and looking at the wetlands in a different way.
‘‘We are so lucky to have a living laboratory in the middle of our town,’’ Dr Conallin said.
‘‘Wetlands are extremely sustainable, the fish and plants in them can be used for all different types of things ... we just need to look at them in a different way.’’
Examples of how we can use our wetlands to make sustainable resources was demonstrated on the day with displays from Rosanne Farrant and Sonya Robinson, who showcased how natives from the wetlands can be used to make dye, bags, nets and baskets.
Adding to the excitement was the release of two turtles, and threatened fish species the southern pygmy perch and purple-spotted gudgeon, in an effort to introduce them back into the lagoon.
(From left) Jordan Gardam , Zayden Jones and Lincoln Crow preparing to release the turtles into the lagoon.
Photo by
Bryanna Rossow
These fish — which are virtually extinct — were an important food source for people and other animals, and have since been replaced by pest fish such as European carp and gambusia.
Now, after being released into the lagoon, the fish will hopefully continue breeding and be a permanent part of the eco-system again.
NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries senior fisheries manager Luke Pearce highlighted the conservation significance of the introduction of these fish species back into the lagoon.
‘‘There are only three generations of the southern pygmy perch left, in 11km of stream in New South Wales, and the purple-spotted gudgeon hasn’t been recorded in the Murray since 1996,’’ he said.
‘‘This (the Deni lagoon project) is the start of something bigger, and a journey we will all get to enjoy.’’
Dr Conallin said the most important aspect of the day was the celebration of the people who have forged long-term partnerships and who have continuously committed to the conservation of the wetlands.
‘‘Today is about all the people who have worked together to achieve a common goal and taken on this vision of breeding endangered fish and releasing them back into our lagoon,’’ he said at the breakfast.
The lagoons project is a collaboration between Murray Local Land Services, Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre, NSW Fisheries, Deniliquin High School, North Central Catchment Management Authority, the Deniliquin Kolety Lagoons Landcare and EWAA.
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