Electrofishing surveys to take place in Barwon River

ELECTROFISHING surveys will be conducted over the next two years to assess the health of the upper Barwon River and guide is future management.

The monitoring program is supported by Barwon Water and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA).

The surveys will be completed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s Arthur Rylah Institute to understand the health of the river and fish populations.

Electrofishing temporarily stuns nearby fish using an electric field so they can be examined. The process is considered harmless for the fish and is used across the world.

Arthur Rylah Institute scientist Lauren Johnson said fish recover quickly and are released back into their environment unharmed.

“The Arthur Rylah Institute uses this fish survey method to monitor fish species across Victoria as part of a number of monitoring projects including the Victorian Environmental Flows Monitoring and Assessment Program (VEFMAP) and the Native Fish Report Card Program.”

Barwon Water managing director Shaun Cumming said they were supporting the survey with $80,000 in funding.

“We know how much our customers and the local community value the environment and healthy local rivers, which is one of the reasons we’re pleased to support this work.”

“The data gathered over the next two years will help get the best outcome for the upper Barwon River into the future.”

Corangamite CMA chief executive Amber Clarke said they’ll be able to track if populations are improving following efforts made by a range of people to improve the health of the Barwon River.

An electrofishing demonstration was held for community members at the end of February where sampling was undertaken along the river from Forrest to Winchelsea, finding mainly native species.

Survey information will help form decisions made by the Corangamite CMA on environmental flows for the river and will provide a baseline for any future sampling.