Priorities Action Statement - Draft Actions for Kosciuszko Galaxias (Galaxias supremus)
Advice to consent and determining authorities
- Provide information on the distribution of the Kosciuszko Galaxias to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to protect Galaxias habitat.
Collate and review existing information
- Collate existing data on the habitat, abundance and population parameters and identify knowledge gaps for the purpose of targeting future research activities.
Community and stakeholder liaison, awareness and education
- Raise awareness of key threats including salmonids and other introduced fish species by engaging with land care groups, tourists and broader community.
- Implement education initiatives to improve awareness of the status of Kosciuszko Galaxias and ways to minimise impacts on the species by preparing and distributing appropriate advisory material.
- Install signs and/or interpretive displays at appropriate locations to assist with identification and awareness of Kosciuszko Galaxias.
- Encourage community reporting of Kosciuszko Galaxias via the NSW DPI Threatened Species Reporting online form.
Compliance / enforcement
- Maximise compliance activities at identified important sites.
- Encourage community reporting of any illegal fishing activities via the NSW DPI Compliance reporting online form.
Habitat protection and rehabilitation
- Undertake work to identify, restore and protect known and potential Kosciuszko Galaxias habitats and address key threats such as habitat degradation and loss.
- Undertake habitat enhancement works at priority reintroduction sites if required.
Pest eradication and control
- Investigate and implement integrated management of introduced species in and adjacent to identified Kosciuszko Galaxias habitat and take action to prevent the spread of introduced species into these habitats.
- Monitor for pest incursions, if present, undertake removal and/or relocation of introduced fish species from streams currently occupied by Kosciuszko Galaxias and at potential translocation sites.
Research / monitoring
- Study into the species’ ecology (reproduction, growth, longevity, habitat use, age, movement).
- Population genetic analysis of current and new subpopulations, to inform genetic management of subpopulations and guide captive breeding and translocation plans.
- Establish monitoring to track the trajectory of known populations.
- Establish physiological tolerances to changes in water temperature and water oxygen saturation as triggers for emergency extraction/relocation of affected subpopulations.
- Establish ex situ population(s) for captive management as an insurance against the extinction of the species in the wild.
- Actively encourage community involvement in aspects of Kosciuszko Galaxias recovery including for example, research and monitoring programs.
Stocking / translocation
- Develop and document procedures for best practice methods for captive breeding, egg and larval rearing.
- Development of a detailed captive breeding plan and undertake breeding.
- Develop a detailed translocation plan and undertake translocations to establish additional, viable populations to spread extinction risk (reintroduction or assisted colonisation) or to bolster populations (reinforcement).
- Undertake emergency rescues of Kosciuszko Galaxias in response to droughts, fires, pollution, detection of biosecurity threats (e.g. disease or pests), or to avoid other detrimental impacts.
- Implement the NSW Freshwater Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy to prevent significant impacts from stocking on Kosciuszko Galaxias populations.
Survey / mapping
- Carry out surveys to identify new populations of the species (to determine contemporary geographic range), to identify sites suitable for future translocations (predator-free or suitable if predators removed), and potential sites for trout barrier installation.
- Undertake surveys to locate additional remnant populations and identify and prioritise reintroduction sites