General News
15 November, 2022
Fish under bridge
MURRAY cod, golden perch, silver perch, and trout cod have been rescued from Gunbower and Pyramid Creeks following last month’s floods. The rescues come as reports are made of native fish dying in Loddon River between Newbridge and...
MURRAY cod, golden perch, silver perch, and trout cod have been rescued from Gunbower and Pyramid Creeks following last month’s floods.
The rescues come as reports are made of native fish dying in Loddon River between Newbridge and Serpentine.
Residents have found native fish, including Murray cod, under the Calder Highway bridge at Bridgewater in greater numbers since last Thursday.
Robert Scholes said he had seen “reasonably sized dead native fish in the Loddon River at Bridgewater”.
However, Environment Protection Authority testing of the Loddon had only been near Kerang by late last week.
A Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning spokesman said: “Blackwater and low dissolved oxygen levels in waterways are causing stress or death of native fish in several locations across the North Central region and more widely across northern Victoria and the Murray-Darling Basin.”
He said the department was working with catchment management authories, Victorian Fisheries Authority and Aboriginal groups to monitor water quality, assess risks and take action to rescue fish where safe and feasible.
“An assessment of the lower Loddon River last week found fish deaths had occurred in several locations.
“Teams are continuing to monitor water quality, and targeted fish surveys will be undertaken as soon as possible, to assess the full impact of the event on fish populations. In the North Central region, so far about 500 Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, and trout cod have been rescued from Gunbower and Pyramid Creeks.
“Where possible, they have been taken to a fishery and will be returned to the Gunbower system when oxygen levels improve. Others have been released into healthier waterways, such as the Campaspe River.”
EPA began water testing last week.