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Prioritising the rehabilitation of fish passage in a regulated river system based on fish movement
Author(s) -
O'Connor Justin,
Amtstaetter Frank,
Jones Matthew,
Mahoney John
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
ecological management and restoration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.472
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1442-8903
pISSN - 1442-7001
DOI - 10.1111/emr.12140
Subject(s) - perch , fish <actinopterygii> , drainage basin , upstream (networking) , fishery , environmental science , fish migration , regulator , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , geography , biology , geology , computer science , cartography , biochemistry , geotechnical engineering , gene , computer network
Summary Environmental rehabilitation budgets are often limited, and management actions need to be prioritised to achieve the best outcomes. Prioritisation can best be done when evidence informs the decision‐making process. We acoustically tagged twenty Golden Perch ( M acquaria ambigua ) in the Loddon River, Australia, and tracked their movements to gain an understanding on the requirements for fish passage at a major regulating structure, the Box Creek regulator. The movements of these fish were monitored through a network of receivers located throughout the lower Loddon River and Pyramid Creek system. Five fish moved 50–120 km upstream, four of which reached the Box Creek regulator before moving back downstream to the entrance of the Kerang Lakes system. Most long distance upstream movements were associated with an increase in river discharge. The remaining 15 fish moved <20 km, with all fish being detected at least once. This pilot study indicates that Box Creek regulator is acting as a barrier for some fish within the Loddon River system. Movement data also indicate that Golden Perch migration pathways may be influenced by river discharge. The management implications of this work includes the need to reinstate fish passage at Box Creek regulator and the potential use of environmental flows to enhance colonisation of native fish species throughout the Murray Darling Basin.