STATUS OF THE MURRAY COD IN THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN

(An independent Government report)

 

Robert E. Kearney and Melissa A. Kildea

Applied Ecology Research Group

University of Canberra

BELCONNEN ACT 2601

May, 2001

Herald-Sun article Murray Cod in danger The status of the Murray Cod in the Murray-Darling basin Full Report My email to & response from Prof. Robert Kearney   Reply from Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Candy Broad

Below is a small excerpt from the "The status of the Murray Cod in the Murray-Darling basin" by Robert E. Kearney and Melissa A. Kildea.

60 Page Document

TASKS (AS DEFINED BY ENVIRONMENT AUSTRALIA)

The project involved the following tasks.

a) Provide a brief description of Murray cod in terms of its:

         Physical attributes;

         Desired habitat and other environmental conditions;

         Diet;

         Reproductive regimen; and

         Ecological, cultural and economic significance.

b) Collate and present data on current and past (back to 1980 at least) numbers and distribution of Murray cod, using information from a range of sources including:

         Fishery management agencies (published and unpublished data, field officers/inspectors);

         Research institutions;

         Commercial fishing organisations; and

         Recreational fishing organisations.

c) Provide comment on the rigour of the various sampling and analytical techniques used to generate the information collated in Task b), including a discussion of any viable alternative techniques.

d) Analyse the data collected in Task b) and provide the best possible indication of trends in the number and distribution of Murray cod in the Murray-Darling Basin.

e) Identify and discuss the major threats to the survival of Murray cod, providing where possible, commentary on the relative significance of each threat.

f) Present the current conservation status of Murray cod – using Commonwealth, State, Territory and the Australian Society of Fish Biology listings, and current State and Territory management regimes for Murray cod (eg. seasonal or regional restrictions) and comment on the adequacy of these.

g) Identify the major knowledge and policy impediments to ensuring the sustainable use and management of Murray cod, and recommend ways in which these impediments could be overcome.

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Murray cod is Australia’s icon freshwater fish. It is legendary and the mere mention of its name provokes public interest. It has been of unequalled significance to traditional, recreational and commercial fishers and unfortunately, the target for much illegal poaching.

Not only is it the biggest and most highly prized fish in the Murray-Darling Basin but it represents the best indicator species for the ecological status of the Basin as a whole. Its complex life history and the differing requirements of eggs, larvae, juveniles and adults necessitate integration of habitat availability and condition, water quantity and quality and impacts of directed targeting. Managing for Murray cod will equate to managing for ecosystem integrity.

Cod populations have declined dramatically since European settlement to the extent that cod are no longer common in many parts of the Basin. These declines can be attributed to several categories of anthropogenic influence, including habitat degradation, pollution, reduced environmental flows, barriers to migration and fishing.

Persistence of the species (species biodiversity) does not appear to be of immediate concern, but the integrity of wild populations (genetic biodiversity) and of the ecosystems which support them (ecological biodiversity) are seriously threatened.

The benefits of Basin-wide management, or at least complementarity of regional management, are emphasised.

Key knowledge requirements include:

 Better definition of the cultural significance and heritage value of Murray cod, particularly in relation to indigenous people and smaller riparian communities.

 Better indicators of spawning and recruitment success across the Basin.

 More detailed assessment of the hydrological factors which trigger spawning and support successful recruitment.

 Better understanding of the relationships between successful recruitment for cod and for other native species.

 Understanding why some cod populations have failed to recover even though causes of declines appear to have been corrected.

 Better evaluation, assessment and monitoring of genetic integrity of individual cod stocks.

 Assessment of the impact on wild cod populations, and broader aquatic ecosystems, of stocking of cod fingerlings.

 Quantification of the extent of illegal poaching of cod and identification of management strategies, including increased community education, to overcome the problem.

 Evaluation (quantification) of benefits and costs of recreational fisheries to local communities and to cod conservation throughout the Basin.

Suggested policy and management initiatives are:

 There needs to be clearly stated objectives for the management and use of all native fish within the Basin.

 Resource conservation principles and management triggers related to resource sustainability should be given priority over resource allocation issues.

 Management of targeted use, including allocation of Murray cod resources, should be aligned with the assessed impacts of each type of targeting and the costs and benefits of each harvest strategy.

 More effective management (elimination) of illegal traps and nets is required.

 Clearly stated policies and management objectives for recreational fisheries, which promote resource conservation and more equitable sharing of allocations within the recreational sector are required.

 The stocking of hatchery produced fingerlings, particularly into rivers and flood-prone impoundments, requires regulation. Clear objectives, procedures for assessment of anticipated impacts and monitoring protocols are required urgently.

NOTE: This is an excerpt from the original report. Please find the complete report in full at the link below. Do not be fooled, this report is an absolute time bomb and could be the ammunition that some extreme "Green" groups would love to use to strengthen their arguments and place further restrictions on our "Recreation" or even be the impetus to ban all fishing on the Murray Cod. This is all the more reason we all need to group together and give good thought to new ways we all can assist in the longevity of the Murray Cod populations.

The status of the Murray Cod in the Murray-Darling basin - Full Report