Priorities Action Statement - Actions for Murray-Darling population of Eel Tailed Catfish

Recovery Actions

Provide information on the distribution of the Eel-Tailed Catfish to local councils and determining authorities to ensure appropriate consideration during development assessment processes (High priority).

Compile existing information on Eel-Tailed Catfish and identify knowledge gaps for the purpose of targeting future research activities (Medium priority).
Collate data on the historical distribution of Eel-Tailed Catfish including anecdotal and indigenous knowledge (Low priority).

Implement education initiatives to improve awareness of the status of the Eel-Tailed Catfish and ways to minimise impacts on the species by preparing and distributing appropriate advisory material (High priority).
Encourage community reporting of Eel-Tailed Catfish via the Threatened and Pest Species Sightings Program online form (Medium priority).
Install signs and/or interpretive displays at appropriate locations to assist with identification and awareness of Eel-Tailed Catfish (Medium priority).
Foster long-term, two-way knowledge transfer and capacity building to enhance the role of indigenous ecological knowledge in the recovery of Eel-Tailed Catfish (Low priority).

Maximise compliance activities at identified important sites (High priority).

Negotiate with relevant authorities to encourage the identification, assessment, and modification of natural resource management plans and policies to minimise impacts on Eel-Tailed Catfish habitats and water quality (High priority).
Implement relevant State policies and programs (e.g. the NSW Diffuse Source Water Pollution Strategy) in an effort to reduce water pollution (particularly chemical pollution from agricultural pesticides) impacts on Eel-Tailed Catfish habitats in NSW (Medium priority).

Work with community groups, relevant natural resource management agencies, local councils, landholders etc. to identify, restore and protect known and potential Eel-Tailed Catfish habitats and address key threats such as habitat degradation and water quality decline from expanding development (High priority).
Allocate and manage environmental water flows in regulated rivers to restore natural seasonal flow patterns, and to reduce the impact of cold water downstream of dams (High priority).
Actively seek funds through grant schemes or other sources to implement riparian vegetation and water quality improvement projects in priority areas (High priority).
Undertake priority rehabilitation, restoration and enhancement work (e.g. rehabilitating riparian vegetation, cold water pollution reduction measures, reinstating large woody debris, removal of barriers to fish passage, removal of willows from riverbanks, sediment and erosion control measures) at key sites known to support Eel-Tailed Catfish populations (High priority).

Investigate and implement integrated management of introduced species in and adjacent to identified Eel-Tailed Catfish habitats and take action to prevent the spread of introduced species into these habitats (Medium priority).

Undertake research to identify, prioritise and improve understanding of the threatening processes and causes of decline of Eel-Tailed Catfish (High priority).
Conduct research on the biology and ecology of Eel-Tailed Catfish, particularly the species' ecological role, environmental tolerances, factors influencing population dynamics, age and growth, life cycle and diet (High priority).
Actively encourage community involvement in aspects of Eel-Tailed Catfish research and monitoring programs (Medium priority).
Monitor Eel-Tailed Catfish population over time to assess trends in abundance and distribution and to identify emerging threatening processes (Medium priority).
Actively seek grants or investor partnerships to fund research and monitoring programs for Eel-Tailed Catfish (Medium priority).
Conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of translocation of adult fish compared to stocking of juveniles to inform future conservation actions (Medium priority).
Examine the genetic diversity and structure in both eastern and western populations of eel tailed catfish (Medium priority).

Implement the NSW Freshwater Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy to prevent significant impacts from stocking on Eel-Tailed Catfish populations (High priority).
Develop an emergency response plan to guide the collection and captive husbandry of Eel-Tailed Catfish. The plan should address the circumstances in which wild individuals may be collected, held and re-released, and identify holding facilities, potential funding sources and legal requirements (Medium priority).
Identify potential candidate sites for possible future translocation of Eel-Tailed Catfish (Low priority).
Conduct targeted sampling at stocked sites to assess the status of stocked populations including growth and recruitment rates (Low priority).

Conduct targeted surveys to determine the current distribution and abundance of Eel-Tailed Catfish (High priority).
Collect data on the presence/absence of Eel-Tailed Catfish during incidental surveys (High priority).