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Background to the project
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The Katfish Reach is a Demonstration Reach for native fish under the Native Fish Strategy of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. It is the only Demonstration Reach along the River Murray in South Australia. |
Native Fish Strategy
Demonstration Reach
NatureLinks
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Native Fish Strategy |
In May 2003 the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council approved the Native Fish Strategy for the Basin. This Strategy provides a response to the key threats to native fish populations in the Murray-Darling Basin. These range from flow regulation, habitat degradation, lowered water quality, man-made barriers to fish movement, the introduction of alien fish species, fisheries exploitation, the spread of diseases and translocation and stocking of fish.
The goal of the strategy is to rehabilitate native fish communities in the Basin back to 60% of their estimated pre-European-settlement levels, after 50 years of implementation. Native fish populations in the Basin's rivers have declined under threats with experts estimating that current levels are about 10% compared to pre-European settlement.
A key objective of the Strategy is to promote that the demonstration reach concept is a positive way to engage the public and learn from practical examples of rehabilitation.
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Demonstration Reaches are large scale river reaches established for the purpose of demonstrating to the community the cumulative benefits of applying a number of interventions (e.g. provision of fish passage, resnagging, alien species management) for rehabilitation of native fish habitat and populations.
Katarapko and Eckert Creeks have been identified as a priority floodplain area and is one of the fist demonstration reached to be trialled in Australia. There are a total of seven demonstration reaches across the Murray-Darling Basin.
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Katarapko Creek within Katfish Reach (Photo: Bill Doyle). |
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NatureLinks is a practical approach to conserving South Australia's plants and animals by managing and restoring large areas of habitat across the State. These areas of habitat, within broad 'biodiversity corridors', will enable native wildlife to survive and adapt to environmental change.
NatureLinks is about partnerships to find ecological solutions without compromising social, cultural or economic aspirations. It establishes timeframes, where short-term conservation priorities and targets are set while acknowledging that true ecological restoration may take generations to achieve.
Katfish Reach is a project within the River Murray-South East NatureLink corridor, one of five corridors across South Australia. To find out more, go to the NatureLinks website. |
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Bushwalking within Katfish Reach (Photo: Bill Doyle). |
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