The Barmah–Millewa Forest provides an important nursery for the iconic Murray cod and other native species. Watch this video to learn how electrofishing is used to monitor the health of the waterways.
Electrofishing allows researchers to estimate fish populations by using an electrical current in the water to temporarily stun fish. After being captured, the fish are quicky taken on board the boat, where they are measured and examined before being released back into the water.
Electrofishing does not cause any long-term harm to the fish or the environment. It is an effective method of collecting data to research fish populations and their response to flow management, including water for the environment.
This research is just one of the many projects undertaken as part of The Living Murray program, a joint initiative funded by Basin states and the Australian Government and coordinated by the MDBA. It currently stands as one of the longest running river restoration programs in Australia.
The Living Murray program was established in 2003 to improve the health of key sites (known as icon sites) along the River Murray.
These sites include the Barmah–Millewa Forest, Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forests, Hattah Lakes, Chowilla Floodplains and Lindsay–Wallpolla–Mulcra Islands, Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth, and the River Murray Channel.
The sites encompass areas of high ecological and cultural value — the floodplains, wetlands and forests along the Murray, the Murray’s estuary and the river itself. The icon sites are regionally, nationally and internationally significant and are recognised under international agreements such as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
In partnership with Basin states and local land managers, we track the environmental condition of these icon sites and their response to water for the environment and natural flows. Outcomes from monitoring are then summarised into annual report cards on the MDBA website and are used to inform future management decisions.
The Living Murray program is closely coordinated with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and state agencies to support Basin Plan environmental outcomes.