Fish friendly marine infrastructure

Our coastal and estuarine habitats are increasingly under threat from urbanisation and human habitation. In an effort to manage these areas, coastal infrastructure has been installed to provide access and store marine craft, control erosion and protect assets. This has led to construction of sea walls, marinas, pontoons, jetties and boat moorings which reduce shoreline complexity, increase shading effects, or directly remove habitat.

Seawall pools and levels at Carss Park, Rockdale, Botany Bay

Many of these existing, necessary, structures impact negatively on surrounding coastal key fish habitat such as seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and endangered ecological communities of saltmarsh, resulting in long-term negative influence on shoreline biodiversity and productivity of local fishery resources.

The good news is that new concepts in coastal infrastructure design, and alternatives to traditional construction and management techniques are providing opportunities to improve the biological diversity on, in and around these structures.

By modifying, upgrading and retrofitting existing marine infrastructure and incorporating new designs when installing new infrastructure (sea walls, marinas, pontoons, jetties and boat moorings), you can lessen the impact on aquatic flora and fauna and be "fish friendly"!

Fish Friendly Marine Infrastructure is a NSW Department of Primary Industries developed program. The project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.

Find out more about Fish Friendly Marine Infrastructure on the Fish Habitat Network website.