Community can help restore icon of the waterways

COMMUNITY members can take part in a citizen science field day on June 12 to help track the endangered Eastern Freshwater Cod in the Richmond River catchment.

Conservation group OzFish Unlimited and freshwater ecologist Jim Tait will lead the event, giving volunteers hands-on experience with environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and waterway restoration.

Project manager at OzFish Unlimited Zoe White said the day would highlight the importance of community-led science and showcase mapped sites where cod have previously been detected.

“The Eastern Freshwater Cod is our icon species for the Richmond catchment,” she said.

“If we’re able to bring back that endangered species, it’s going to mean incredible things for the health of our waterways.

“They were once prolific in the catchment, but for a range of reasons they’re struggling to survive.

“There are key pockets where we still have the water quality to build in those areas with good habitat and anecdotal sightings.”

The cod rely on complex habitats including snags, root balls, shaded banks and boulder-strewn pools. Their absence signals decades of degradation, land clearing, sedimentation and habitat destruction.

The field day will take participants to sites in the Upper Wilsons, Coopers and Rocky Creek areas, with collection of eDNA water samples using cutting-edge technology that detects species without needing to see or capture them.

“It’s all about improving the habitat and giving Eastern Freshwater Cod the chance of survival,” Ms White said.

“We’re lucky to have a lot of volunteers who have lived on the waterways for a long time and they have a lot of knowledge to share.”

Participants will meet at the OzFish Ballina office for carpooling. The broader project includes riparian planting, erosion control, removal of fish passage barriers, and installation of habitat structures.

For more information or to register, visit ozfish.org.au.

People can register for field day at ozfish.org.au.