NSW DPI staff relocate southern pygmy perch as creek dries up
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NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) staff have relocated 100 small rare native fish, the southern pygmy perch, from a tributary of the Murray River near Holbrook to Narrandera Fisheries’ Centre, in response to continuing drought conditions.
Southern pygmy perch (Nannoperca australis) were once widely distributed throughout the Murrumbidgee and Murray River systems as well as coastal streams in South Australia and Victoria, north-eastern Tasmania and King and Flinders Islands in Bass Strait.
However, with large-scale reductions in their numbers they have now been listed as a threatened species in NSW, with only three known remnant populations remaining.
NSW DPI Fisheries Conservation Manager Alison McLean said as part of the threatened species monitoring program, NSW DPI fisheries researchers had located 371 southern pygmy perch in the small remnant waterholes of the tributary in December.
“Ongoing surveillance by regional fisheries conservation staff since then has confirmed that the waterholes are drying rapidly,” she said.
“The fish are currently extremely vulnerable to predation by birds, a rise in water temperature and low dissolved oxygen content in the water,” she said.
“We made the decision to move 100 individuals (considered to be a viable population should the wild population be lost) to Narrandera Fisheries’ Centre during the past week.
“Arrangements have been made with Fisheries Technician Stephen Thurston at Narrandera to quarantine and then temporarily house the fish until they can be returned to the location of capture when conditions allow.”
Ms McLean said the operation was an emergency interim measure while other options are considered for conserving the remaining southern pygmy perch at the site.
There are heavy penalties for harming, possessing, buying or selling southern pygmy perch, or for harming their habitat.
Information about the species can be obtained from the NSW DPI website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries
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