Delivery Fish research and monitoring activities in the Qld part of the northern MD Basin: Identifying and protecting native fish and fish habitats Michael

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Fish research and monitoring activities in Fish research and monitoring activities in the Qld part of the northern MD Basin: the Qld part of the northern MD Basin: Identifying and protecting native fish and fish habitatsIdentifying and protecting native fish and fish habitats

Michael Hutchison

DPI&F Delivery: Animal Science-Sustainable Fisheries Unit

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BackgroundBackground• Nearly all rivers, lagoons and streams in the Qld MD Basin are

ephemeral. The whole region is virtually an interconnected ephemeral wetland. There are only a few places with natural permanent flow, but there are permanent river pools and semi-permanant lagoons that can act as important drought and dry season refugia in the ephemeral system.

• Compared to the southern MD Basin, there has been little fisheries research and monitoring done in the Qld part of the northern MD Basin. In part because many researchers concentrated on coastal and tropical freshwater species and because the southern Basin was more of a Commonwealth priority for funding.

• In more recent times there has been an increasing amount of work in the northern MD Basin commencing with Dave Moffat’s fish in drought project, work by the northern branch of the freshwater ecology centre and the DPI&F long-term monitoring program. Currently there are several research and monitoring projects operating in the Qld section of the Basin. This talk will give a brief overview of these with an emphasis on current work by the DPI&F Animal Science unit and potential areas for future research.

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Some current activitiesSome current activities

• Murray Cod recruitment and stocking in Macintyre Brook (Steve Brooks QDPI&F, Stuart Rowland NSW DPI)

An optimal fish stocking research partnership was established in October. 2006. This project partnership involves eighty volunteers from four recreational fishing groups in Queensland and New South Wales, three state-wide recreational fishing advocacy groups, QLD and NSW Government Fisheries agency staff and QMDC. The partnership will assess the contribution of native fish stocking rates on natural recruitment of the Murray Cod populations in fifty-six kilometres of the Dumaresq River between Mingoola and Bonshaw on the NSW/ QLD border. Additional information collected on population size, growth rates, habitat requirements and home ranges will be utilised to improve the stocking management plans presently in place for this species in the Dumaresq River, and will be made available to all stocking groups throughout the Murray-Darling.

Sampling for this project commenced in May 2008.

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Some current activitiesSome current activities

• Fishways (Andrew Berghuis QDPI&F FBG)NBP - The Northern Basin Program (NBP) commissioned a scoping study in 2007 which prioritised and provided indicative costings for priority weirs suitable for fishways (or removal). Unfortunately the abovementioned study did not comprehensively investigate stakeholder interest in the re-establishment of fish passage in the Northern Basin. Subsequently some stakeholders such as community Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups felt disenfranchised from the prioritisation process.A NBP project to develop a business case for priority fishway development in the Darling River system with the inclusion of identifying the importance of investment in fishways in the Northern Basin has been discussed. The project will utilise the 2007 scoping study as well as an earlier fish barrier identification study by QDPI&F along with stakeholder input to identify priority structures. The top priority structures will be assessed for feasibility and detailed cost estimates for the removal of the structure or establishment of fish passage .

• Other - DPI&F’s fishway team has been developing and trialling cost-effective fish passage. This is innovative technology that may also be suitable for the Basin.Trials of pre-fabricated modular vertical-slot and rock ramp fishways have demonstrated good potential for application on low barriers.

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Current activitiesCurrent activities

• Sustainable Rivers Audit (MDBA QDPI FBG and NSW DPI): Fish are one of the indicators used to score the health of river valleys in the Basin. The first round of all major valleys was completed and a report released in 2008. This year the Warrego–Paroo catchments will be monitored in Qld. The pilot SRA discovered the Condamine catfish Porochilus cf rendahli in the Basin.

• Drought refugia project (E-water DNRW, Griffith University)

Work is based in the Moonie River catchment. Has links to the NFS Drought refugia project (SARDI).

• Tilapia (Stephanie Challen DPI&F)

In April 2008, DPI&F started a community awareness raising campaign to ‘Keep Tilapia out of the Basin’. The campaign involved a number of projects including school activities, participating in fishing and carp buster competitions and distributing tilapia information packages and signs. It is envisaged that this campaign will be the basis of a broader project.

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Current activitiesCurrent activities

• Biologists from the Toowoomba NRW have started a fish project which is looking at spawning and recruitment of golden perch in the Border Rivers catchment. This project is seeking to increase certainty on available information and fill knowledge gaps about critical flow requirements of the golden perch. The outcomes of this project will assist assessments of the ecological performance of the Water Resource Plans (WRPs) and in identifying how to best manage environmental flows.

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Evaluating effectiveness of carp Evaluating effectiveness of carp control techniques (DPI&F, IACRC)control techniques (DPI&F, IACRC)

or Sex and drugs and shock ‘n rollor Sex and drugs and shock ‘n roll

• Carp can impact on native fish habitat through increasing turbidity and destroying macrophytes. They may also compete with native fish for food and resources and have been implicated in the decline of eel-tailed catfish.

• This project has been comparing the effectiveness of different removal techniques that could be employed (particularly by community groups and local government) to control carp in areas identified as critical habitat or desirable to restore. An important consideration when controlling carp is to minimise harm to non-target species.

• The work has been carried out in both the northern MD Basin and the Logan-Albert catchment.

• Techniques looked at include fishing competitions, long-lining, stocking of native predators, electrofishing, fyke netting, seining and trapping using food and sexual attractants.

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How did we assess the competitions?

• Tag-recapture to estimate population sizes• Compared efficiencies of angling with electrofishing

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So how effective are fishing competitions?

Event Est. carp population

Angling removal

Electrofishing removal

Goondiwindi 07 4465 0.5% 13.4%

Goondiwindi 08 8021 1.6% 8.3%

Thallon 08 5936 1.8% 16.1%

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•Attractants and traps (ongoing investigation, shows good potential)Current trap is based on a large fyke designThe attractants being investigated include:

Automated feed dispensersArtificially induced male and female fish (LHRHa – 80 µg/kg)Artificial flows (e.g. irrigation pumps)

•Seining (on going investigation, 4500 fish (10 tonnes) removed from drying lagoon in 4 hauls)

•Use of predators (Katie Doyle UQ, on going investigation, early results promising with preferential predation of juvenile carp in tank trials.)

•Long lining (terminated due to turtle by-catch)

•Investigating night vs day electrofishing and use of burley pre-electrofishing vs standard electrofishing. Current trend is suggesting pre-burleying and night sampling have increased catch rates.

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Mesoscale Movements of small and Mesoscale Movements of small and medium sized native fishmedium sized native fish

• The aim of the Mesoscale movements project is to understand the movement requirements (including lateral movements) of small and medium sized species of fish and the juveniles of large recreational species in the northern Murray-Darling Basin

• We used a combination of micro-tagging, radio-tracking and standardised sampling techniques including electrofishing and back to back fykes and mini-fykes to understand the movements of a range of fish species in the lower Condamine and MacIntyre Rivers

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• Hypseleotris spp. as small as 40 mm total length (TL) were recorded moving up to 13 km upstream and more than 5 km downstream. Movements by Hypseleotris spp. were as rapid as 2 km in four days. Other species with evidence for upstream movement further than 10 km include L. unicolor, N. erebi, P. macrostomus, juvenile and sub–adult M. ambigua. Downstream movements up to 2 km were recorded for L. unicolor and up to 5 km for N. erebi. Downstream movements of hundreds of metres were recorded for juvenile and sub–adult M. ambigua and N. hyrtlii.

• On falling flows there was a tendency for downstream migration by carp gudgeons Hypseleotris spp., N. erebi, and L. unicolor of all sizes, M. ambigua (sub–adults and juveniles), dwarf flathead gudgeon Philypnodon macrostomus and Hyrtl’s tandan Neosilurus hyrtlii (juveniles). This may have been to avoid desiccation.

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• Carp gudgeons Hypseleotris spp., bony bream Nematalosa erebi, spangled perch Leiopotherapon unicolor and golden perch Macquaria ambigua sub–adults and juveniles were more mobile on natural flows than on artificial flow releases. Migrations of these species may be cued by odours in run–off.

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Mean catch rates in fykes and mini-fykes of bony bream during natural and artificial flow events

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• On rising flows most species of fish tended to move upstream, but there was always a proportion of the population moving downstream.

• Only a small proportion of the Murray–Darling rainbowfish Melanotaenia fluviatilis population appeared to move. Of those that did, most headed upstream. In contrast to other species, M. fluviatilis were most mobile during artificial flow releases. They may prefer clearer water for movements associated with courtship displays and breeding.

• In most species of fish, adults had more of a tendency to move upstream and juveniles downstream. This trend was very strong in N. hyrtlii.

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• Peak movements of juvenile and sub–adult M. ambigua and N. erebi occurred during autumn. In the northern MDB, such behaviour would be a useful adaptation to enable dispersal to refugia prior to the onset of the winter and early spring dry season.

• Lateral migration into lagoons by the endangered olive perchlet

Ambassis agassizi appears to be for reproduction. Access to lagoon habitats is probably important for this species’ long–term survival. Strategies to assist serial connection of lagoon habitats during the reproductive season need to be investigated.

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• It is very important to consider both the upstream and downstream movement of small fish when prioritising fish passage investment. In particular, the preponderance of downstream movement, especially on falling flows for many species in the ephemeral rivers of the northern Basin dictates that future plunge pool, fishway and spillway design should accommodate downstream passage of small–bodied fish as well as the premier native sport fish and other large–bodied species.

• Strategies to assist serial connection of lagoon habitats during the Ambassis reproductive season need to be investigated to prevent the lagoons becoming terminal sinks for a threatened species.

• Strategies that combine environmental flows with natural cues such as rainfall require investigation in the northern Basin

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• Supplementary research into lateral movements and importance of use of lagoon habitats by native fish species is continuing post-drought in the northern Basin. Recently we recorded Porochilus cf rendahli moving into a lagoon on the Condamine river on a flood event and have collected further evidence that lagoons are reproductive sites for olive perchlets. We have also observed that blackwater in lagoons is detrimental to colonisation by native fish, including olive perchlets.

• Research into cues for movement is continuing using fluvarium trials with river,

lagoon and bank sediments. The aim is to answer whether movement to lagoons is active (obligatory) or random (by chance). Our hypothesis (based on comparisons of abundance in lagoon versus river habitats) is that this movement is active for spangled perch and olive perchlets.

Other test species include carp gudgeons, un-specked hardyheads, rainbowfish and juvenile silver perch.

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Improving post-release survival of hatchery Improving post-release survival of hatchery reared threatened fish for recovery programsreared threatened fish for recovery programs

• Stocking of hatchery reared threatened fish is one tool used in recovery programs in conjunction with habitat restoration etc

• Hatchery reared fish are predator naive• Up to 99% of fish may die within hours after stocking

• Objective: Determine if pre-release predator training and soft release strategies can improve post stocking survival of threatened species

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• Silver perch summarySignificantly more consistent use of far cell by 72 hour trained fish and a

downward trend in use of other cells after introduction of a predator.Significantly reduced use of the middle and upper water column by 72 hour

trained fish after introduction of a predator.• Murray cod summary Significant improvement in efficacy in use of cover cells by 72 hour trained

cod after introduction of a predator.• Eel-tailed catfish summarySignificant increase in use of the far cells by trained catfish after

introduction of a predator.Trend towards reduced use of near cells by trained catfish.Trend towards reduced use of predator cells by 72 hour trained catfish.Trend towards increased use of cover by 72 hour trained catfish.

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• Stocking trials of micro-tagged mass-trained and untrained (control) threatened fish have just commenced. Also comparing standard release with release in predator free socks.

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Baseline and pre-restoration sampling in the Baseline and pre-restoration sampling in the Condamine catchmentCondamine catchment

• Sampling is being done on behalf of Condamine Alliance. This has links to the NFS demonstration reach program

• Baseline sampling prior to restoration. Use of multiple sampling techniques. Surveys also used for selection of control sites and development of restoration priorities.

Key findings include …• River blackfish and mountain galaxias have survived drought in the upper

Condamine. The Condamine Alliance is working with landholders to restore the riparian zone in the upper Condamine. This was identified as a priority for blackfish and galaxias.

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Baseline and pre-restoration sampling Baseline and pre-restoration sampling in the Condamine catchmentin the Condamine catchment

Key findings continued …

• Olive perchlets Ambassis agassizii captured at Charlies Creek, Louden Weir pool and Canal Creek

• Eel-tailed catfish Tandanus tandanus found at Oakey Creek (Bowenville Reserve) and in the Gorge section of the Condamine River near Killarney. Juveniles found near Killarney.

• Dwarf flathead gudgeons Phylipnodon macrostomus found in Louden Weir pool. An upstream range extension > 100 km from Chinchilla and Condamine.

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Potential topics for future fish research Potential topics for future fish research and monitoring in the northern MD Basinand monitoring in the northern MD Basin

• Why have silver perch eel-tailed catfish and Murray cod declined or disappeared from the unregulated Paroo system?

• Developing early detection and removal techniques for Tilapia to aid in establishment of a northern basin buffer zone and community monitoring network.

• Evaluating the effectiveness of different habitat restoration techniques on fish stocks (CFOC? NFS demo reaches?).

• Ecology and status of Porochilus cf rendahli in the northern Basin. This is the most recently discovered and least known fish species in the Basin.

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• The importance of serial lagoon connection events for maintaining fish stocks & developing strategies to enhance the effectiveness of environmental flows for fish migration. (Preventing lagoons from becoming death traps for threatened fish).

• Improving downstream passage of fish.

• Increasing baseline data on fish distributions. Huge tracts remain unsurveyed for fish. AquaBAMM is fish data poor in Qld.

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• Temperature effects on sex ratios of fish in the northern Basin. Chance observations were made of skewed male to female sex ratios (up to 9:1) in some northern Basin sites. Sex ratios need to be surveyed more widely. Lab work required on link between temp and sex determination in embryo stage and larval native fishes. Increased temp at embryo and juvenile stages is known to change sex ratios in some northern hemisphere species. If an issue in MDB then mitigation measures such as riparian restoration, flow management or altered hatchery protocols may need to be implemented.

• Environmental impacts of fish stocking

• Evaluation of overland flow harvest impacts on river flows, connection of lagoons and fish populations

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Delivery Fish research and monitoring activities in the Qld part of the northern MD Basin: Identifying and protecting native fish and fish habitats Michael