Aussie anglers banned from catching iconic fish

It was once a dinner staple for Aussie families, but Australian anglers are now completely banned from catching this native fish.

A total ban has been introduced to stop Australian fishers from catching the endangered Macquarie perch.

The species of fish was once abundant in the Murray Darling Basin. It was a dinner staple for people in the area and, up until the 1950s, its price was reported in national newspapers along with those of cattle and sheep.

But, after decades of declining populations, researchers fear the Macquarie perch could be extinct in the wild in as little as five years, prompting a total fishing ban.

Anglers are no longer allowed to catch Macquarie perch. Picture: VFA

Previously, fishers at Dartmouth Dam and Upper Coliban Reservoir — the only two areas where Macquarie perch are still found — were allowed to catch between one and two of the species each day.

But as of December 20, 2023, a total ban on catching Macquarie perch is in place.

Macquarie perch that are inadvertently caught must immediately be returned to the water with “the least possible damage or injury”, Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) advises.

A Macquarie perch in captivity.

What happened to Macquarie perch?

The decline of the Macquarie perch is a prime example of the sad fate experienced by many native species since European competitors were introduced after colonisation.

Dams were built in the Macquarie basin, limiting the fish’s movement, while predatory species like European carp and perch were introduced.

European perch can breed three times a year, laying two million eggs each time. Macquarie perch, by contrast, breed just once a year with about 200,000 eggs.

The sheer scale of their European counterparts makes it difficult for the humble native fish to compete.

Just a few thousand Macquarie perch are believed to exist in the wild.

Macquarie perch are endangered, with just a few thousand believed to exist in the wild.

Most of those survivors live in upland waters where European perch and carp haven’t yet invaded. But in recent years, some of these introduced fish have been caught there, contributing to concerns about native species decline.

Any that are caught must be returned to the water.

Why was fishing Macquarie perch banned?

The ban will help to buy time for researchers to learn how the Macquarie perch can be bred in captivity and thus saved, according to VFA CEO Travis Dowling.

“They’re the Tasmanian tiger of large body freshwater fish in the Murray Darling Basin,” Mr Dowling told Yahoo.

“Unless we can crack this code [of how to breed them] we think they’ll be extinct… totally extinct.”

Macquarie perch fingerlings bred at Snobs Creek hatchery.

Thankfully, there are success stories that inspire hope.

Previously, the VFA has had success mass-breeding Murray cod and golden perch to boost the numbers of those native fish.

The agency, in partnership with Deakin University, Melbourne Aquarium and NSW Fisheries, has launched a $5 million hatchery at Snobs Creek dedicated to the breeding of Macquarie perch.

“What we’re trying to do is get as many people with left-field thinking together to work out what in the past has prevented us from being able to breed them successfully,” Mr Dowling explained.

“Is there something with the water temperature, is it the food we’re providing? What is it that’s holding us back?”

Macquarie perch also require a strong, healthy riverbank to thrive, prompting the VFA to request that local landholders fence cattle away from rivers where the fish reside.