ISSUE 53 February 2019

Connections research for a changing world

Fish Passage 2018 Fish Passage 2018 The Fish Passage 2018 conference which the Institute co-hosted last December in International Conference on River Connectivity Incorporating the First Symposium on Albury was a resounding success. Hydropower and Fish Management CONTENTS Albury NSW, December 10 -14 2018 This newsletter contains a special 16 page insert which features highlights From the Director 2 and photographs from the conference, interviews with some of the speakers, New Projects 3 Institute partners and post-graduates at the conference. Project Updates 4

Read more from Page 13 Completed Projects 6

Opinion Dr Jonathon Howard 7

Engagement & Linkages Regional 9 National 10 International 11 Profile - Dr Damian Michael Visitors - Sam Perrin 12 Visitors-Dr Alex Bond 29 This issue we welcome Dr Damian Michael who joined the LTIM Murrumbidg- Fish Passage 2018 13 ee project team last November. Overview 14 Prof Martin Mallen-Cooper 18 Damian whose background is in terres- Myanmar-new partner 19 trial ecology is enjoying the challenge of Dr Arif Wibowo 20 working in a more “watery” environment. Prof Jurgen Geist 21 He has already used his “snake-spotting Dr Matthew McCartney 22 skills” with the discovery of the grey snake Dr Daniel Svozil 24 which is new to the region. An Vi Vu 25 Read more from Page 31 Profile Dr Damian Michael 31

Adjunct News 33

Trip of a life time Post-graduates 35

ILWS PhD student An Vi Vu had the Awards & Appointments 36 wonderful opportunity last year to travel the length of the Mekong River from Members’ News 37 close to the Chinese border in Laos all the way down to the sea as part of his In the News 38 PhD esearch. Publications 39 Read more about his journey on Page 25 River, and how we as a society were raise recognition of Aboriginal knowl- From the Director responding. edge in tertiary education prerequi- sites. My upbringing in peri-urban Aus- tralia rang with comments such Which leads me back to our land as ‘if it moves shoot it, if it doesn’t and water and biodiversity as we chop it down’ and the aftermath of view it and manage it today. There is land clearing policies to expand a marked change and our literature agriculture (a million acres a year), and learned reports reflect this. Then dig more mines, shoot feral animals we have the devastation of drought and native animals seen as pests, and other disasters (which we once apply more chemicals, and chip the called natural disasters, but read the forests, and export the products. literature on that nowadays), with institutional responses from govern- by Professor Max Finlayson There was also strong local support ment, and the incredible efforts of for whaling and forestry and opposi- social responses, such as the hay I’ve found it pretty hard to avoid tion to catch limits for fish and crusta- runs to those without fodder, and issues of climate change and water ceans (what do you mean there is a donations to relief funds. in the past months. shortage, just gotta go a few more miles and spend a few more hours The floods in Townsville illustrate At the end of 2018 we co-hosted a and you’ll catch plenty). And very the size of such disasters; I never fish passage and river connectiv- little consideration of indigenous thought the suburb I had once lived ity conference in Albury with 380 land management and use, let alone in would have been evacuated due registrants. Besides the smooth occupancy and land rights. Climate to flooding. Fire is something we are operation of the technical program variability was recognised through all very aware of and this year Tas- I was impressed with the support reference to the poem from Patrick mania has been severely affected; and involvement of our office staff Hartigan (pen-name John O’Brien), recall also the 1967 Hobart fires. in promoting ILWS and assisting the about Hanrahan and “we’ll all be conference organisers and attend- rooned”, with climate change itself My own first experience with fire of ees. never considered. this nature was standing outside the house and wondering why the The welcome to country and smok- A Sand Country Almanac distant sky and atmosphere were ing ceremony held at the start of so “unfriendly” when elsewhere the the conference was impressive and Later I read about Aldo Leopold towns of Dwellingup and Karridale made even more meaningful to (1887–1948) and his visionary were being burned. myself by a call to those who had but not universally accepted land previously worked with and assisted restoration efforts and land ethic We now also have the devastation of indigenous people to stay with them approaches in the Wisconsin (USA) fish populations in the Darling River and contribute further where they sand country that had once been with the hand wringing and blame could as there was much to be done. forested but then logged, burned, shifting and cursing the blue-green overgrazed by dairy cows and then algae and river management. Yes, This resonated with myself as I had abandoned. When I first visited the fish kills occur; blue-green algae a few months earlier re-engaged ‘shack’ on the land where he had ini- are part of nature; and we cannot with some of the technical detail tiated much of his restoration efforts control the weather. And there is no associated with rehabilitation of the and wrote his famed A Sand Country evidence it is climate change, just as Ranger uranium mine on the edge Almanac there was much discussion we cannot say the dieback of man- of Kakadu National Park and on about whether his methods had been groves in northern Australia was (is) Aboriginal land. More than that I appropriate, or were still appropriate. due to climate change. had revisited the 1977 “Fox Report” that preceded the establishment of I found the discussion fascinating – With a land that has experienced Kakadu, and the uranium mining revisiting past wisdom is I think part many insults and is in itself pretty within the context of Aboriginal land of our development. But it was the robust I found solace in rereading rights and changes in governance of very concept of the ethic that fasci- the 1977 report from Kakadu as it the Northern Territory. nated me even more. It was so differ- laid out the relationships between ent from what I had heard around me people and the land (as a whole) The report reawakened my interest as a child, and such thinking had not and is the closest that I have read in the history of our natural resource penetrated my academic training. that expressed a land ethic along the management and left me wonder- lines that Leopold had done before in ing what sort of ‘land ethic’ we had Through the Fox Report and other the USA. in Australia. The land ethic was also considered and contentious reports exposed while considering the die- and activities it did penetrate my time I don’t think we have learned a lot back of mangroves in northern Aus- in Australia’s north, and even led to from it – yes we have a much greater tralia and fish deaths in the Darling a short and unsuccessful attempt to contemporary knowledge base, but do we have an associated commu- ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 2 nity-wide ethic for our land, and are Stage Three will be informed by ing, Evaluation and Research (MER) we sharing that widely enough if we stages one and two, and will meas- Plan for the Edward-Wakool system do, and, given we are in the educa- ure specific beach and ocean users’ for 2019 to 2022. The MER plan will tion game, are we teaching that well (eg. surfers and swimmers) tolerance be developed between January and enough? and thresholds for different shark June 2019 in collaboration with part- management options. ner organisations, CEWO staff and My forlorn thoughts some years ago other stakeholders. The new plan were that we needed to teach and Supporting isolated women in will extend existing monitoring and engage differently, including recog- New South Wales via an eHealth evaluation for another three years nising and valuing community-based CBT program. De Haan, K. (Mur- (2019-2022) and will incorporate a knowledge, but something bigger as rumbidgee LHD), Bernoth, M., Hunt, number of new research projects to well. I am not belittling what is taught C. (Western NSW LHD), Milgrom, J. address knowledge gaps. now (I enjoy sharing knowledge), (Parent Infant Research Institute), but rather seeking a dialogue on Gemmil, A. (Parent Infant Research Monitoring, Evaluation and the many “what else” issues about Institute), Carlisle, J. & Carey, Research- Murrumbidgee System. education in a broad sense that A. (2018-2020) NSW Ministry of Wassens, S., Hall, A. (2019) CEWO could enrich our lives and those of Health Translational Research Grant our communities, especially, but not Scheme $176,790 The Murrumbidgee LTIM team has only, when we and they deal with the also received funding from CEWO big issues that confront and affront The MumMoodBooster (MMB) to prepare a Monitoring, Evaluation our lands. And that dialogue should program is a new internet cognitive- and Research (MER) program for the inevitably influence our research behavioural therapy (CBT) program Murrumbidgee system and will be directions and the way we conduct which has been developed to treat continuing and extending the pro- our research. isolated new mothers experiencing gram through to 2023. mild to moderate depression and Please feel free to contribute your anxiety. Biodiversity Conservation theme wisdom – there are I feel many untapped stories and experiences The aim of this project, which is Overcoming barriers to intergen- that could enrich our lives and jobs. being conducted in partnership with erational recruitment in direct- Murrumbidgee Local health District, seeded revegetation sites. Price, Western NSW Local Health District J. & Guja, L. (Australian National New projects and the Parent Infant Research Botanic Gardens) (2019-2020) Aus- Institute, is to explore key barriers tralia Flora Foundation, $18,181 Rural and Regional Communities and facilitators to accessing the theme MMB program for isolated and hard Restoration of trees and shrubs to reach women in areas of regional, contributes substantially to vegeta- A study of influences on prefer- rural and remote NSW. tion cover and habitat in degraded, ences, tolerances and thresholds fragmented landscapes and is of acceptability for shark manage- The project is being conducted particularly important for ecosystems ment options in NSW. Simmons, within the Murrumbidgee (Narran- that have experienced severe loss. P. & Mehmet, M. with Curley, B., dera, Deniliquin & Wagga Wagga) Wolfenden, K. and Callaghan, K. and Western NSW (Parkes, Forbes, Grassy ecosystems in south eastern (2018-2019) NSW Primary Industries Bathurst) Local Health Districts. Australia have experienced such loss – NSW Shark Management Strategy, and remaining remnants are often $50,000 More information at https://www. degraded. Incentives are provided to nswruralhealthresearch.org.au/ landholders to restore native vegeta- This project is exploring beach and translational-research-grant-scheme/ tion to their property and this private ocean user attitudes to options for round-three/ehealth-model-of-care- land restoration contributes substan- shark management, with a special pnda/ tially to native vegetation in heavily focus on circumstances that influ- cleared regions and increases con- ence perceptions, preferences, toler- Environmental Water theme. nectivity in highly fragmented land- ances and behaviours. It is using a scapes. However recent research three stage approach. Monitoring, Evaluation and suggests that landscape-scale Research – Edward Wakool recruitment failure may be occurring Stage One will include exploring System. Watts, R., Howitt, J., leading to restoration collapse, once social media sentiment to familiarise McCasker, N., Liu, X. & Trethewie, J. the life-span of these shrub species with dimensions of preference, range (2019) CEWO have been reached. of tolerance and points of threshold. Following on from previous projects This research aims to identify bar- Stage Two will use these insights to undertaken in the Edward-Wakool riers to successful recruitment for guide focus groups, which will also system between 2011 and 2019, these shrub species and identify explore ‘tolerance’ in areas of signifi- ILWS has received funding from the simple management techniques that cant recent incidents. Commonwealth Environmental Water can promote regeneration of planted Office (CEWO) to prepare a Monitor- species. more next page ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 3 A series of field and lab methods are planned to be able to determine bar- riers to successful recruitment and how they might be alleviated.

Phase 2: Ecological assessment of the status of the Southern bell frog and Sloane’s froglet in Mywurlie Station, One Tree, NSW. Knight, A., Wassens, S., & Heard, G. (2018-2019) Murrumbidgee Irrigation Ltd, $45,673

This project will involve two repeat surveys of potential habitats along channels scheduled to be decommis- sioned to establish the extent of the Southern bell frog populations within the impact zone; and establish the importance of impacted populations Above: The monitoring team out in the field. Below: Dr Zsofia Palfi and her in the context of broader populations team in the region. It builds on previous surveys done in 2017-2018.

The project is also aligned with the Environmental Water theme.

Project Updates

Ecological tree thinning River Red Gum floristics and vegetation monitoring 2018-2019. Spooner, P. (2018-2019) NSW OEH $199,700

Murray Valley National Park is located east of Mathoura NSW, on the Edwards and Murray Rivers. This relatively new National Park was once managed as a forest, and pos- staff from NSW OEH. sess important biodiversity values. opment of individual mature trees. “The monitoring involves floristic Due to past management history, Given ongoing river regulation and surveys and vegetation structural high density stands of Eucalyptus the likelihood of future droughts sampling of 198 plots, which are camaldulensis (river red gum) trees resulting from climate change, this located throughout the park to ascer- have developed in areas of the park, long-term monitoring plan (sched- tain vegetation conditions in relation and caused conservation concerns. uled to continue annually until 2022) is designed to include river flooding to tree thinning,” says Peter. An ecological tree thinning experi- as an experimental factor. Due to present hot seasonal condi- ment has been implemented within tions, irrigation releases flooded the the park by NSW OEH in conjunc- “The ILWS has provided significant forest earlier than normal, causing tion with the ILWS (lead Associate support to NSW OEH for this moni- difficulties for the field survey team. Professor Peter Spooner). toring program for a number of years now, and this partnership is likely to “Due to the dry conditions, high The main aims of the research are continue until completion in 2022,” irrigation flows were experienced to determine whether any of the says Peter. throughout the forest park in late prescribed levels of ecological tree 2018,” says Peter. “This caused thinning positively affect forest stand A team of five botanists and ecolo- minor flooding in some plots, pre- characteristics (new tree recruitment, gists, led by field project officer Dr venting or limiting access until late as well as overall vegetation compo- Zsofia Palfi, commenced surveys in January 2019. As a result of this sition and structure), and the devel- October 2018, in conjunction with

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 4 flood event, and later extreme tem- nity for project perature conditions, we adapted the teams to field survey schedule to best cope reflect on how with the difficult environmental condi- their project tions.” is going, and what is Peter says that the project provides needed for the invaluable experience for graduates remainder of to hone their skills for future employ- the project. ment. Many teams “Despite the testing conditions, staff use this as enjoy the challenges presented with an opportu- this project, and the opportunities nity to present presented to observe the parks rich interim results biodiversity values,” he says. “Many from their previous staff have gone onto full- research. Above: Project team working on a media release, and Below: time employment, which is a great Project participants from Punjab province discuss potential on- outcome. However, ground ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ interventions they could investigate to- ACIAR is gether with the project’s two case study communities in Punjab. “In conjunction, Honours student increasingly Renee Woodward (part-time) is con- seeking an tinuing her research to investigate understanding the short-term effects of ecological of the extent thinning and flooding on river red their projects gum recruitment.” (Peter is her Prin- are having cipal supervisor.) an impact on the ground. This project is associated with the To this end, Biodiversity Conservation theme. the Pakistan groundwater Pakistan groundwater project team project: evidence of any has sought to define its impact? impact aspira- by Dr Michael Mitchell tions, as both longer-term The ACIAR-funded four-year project post-project agement with provincial irrigation Improving groundwater manage- goals and end of project outcomes. departments, and ment to enhance agriculture and • to build partnerships and col- farming livelihoods recently passed Project outcomes have been defined laboration its half-way mark. So, in November into three pathways: These aspirations were used as 2018, ACIAR conducted a mid-term • to improve groundwater man- the basis for the mid-term review. review of the project. ACIAR con- agements with farming families So instead of merely asking project ducts these reviews as an opportu- • to improve groundwater man- team members to present research results, the review Intended outcomes by the end of the project: organisers asked that presentations to the 1. Groundwater management by some farmers and/or farming organisations has reviewers provide improved evidence of progress 2. Partner government agencies have improved groundwater planning, monitor- towards the three path- ing and management strategies, and guidelines for legislative change ways to impact. 3. Relevant provincial government agencies, non-government organisations and farmer organisations have developed partnerships for discussion of ground- For example, represent- water issues/ solutions atives from each of the three provincial irrigation Intended longer-term outcomes (improved farming family livelihoods beyond the departments, as project life of the project): partners, gave brief presentations describ- 1. Some farmer/ farm incomes have increased ing the impact that their 2. Effective and fair groundwater management involvement has had on them and their organisa- tions. more next page

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 5 This allowed the team to appreciate trialled. Discussions were held on the North that, even though the project seems coast; Mid-north coast; Central to be behind schedule, and not all Focus group sessions were held in coast; South coast; Sydney Metro- of the groundwater models for the August and September 2018 with politan and Far south coast. case studies have been established, beach and ocean end users (swim- the approach to groundwater model- mers, surfers, anglers, marine The Executive Summary and Rec- ling development has ensured the environment and coastal conserva- ommendations from the report on irrigation departments understand tion, lifeguards, tourist operators this study is now available on the how such models are developed and and small business). Participants NSW DPI website https://www.dpi. used. had the opportunity to discuss what nsw.gov.au/fishing/sharks/manage- was important to them on topics of ment/annual-competitive-grants- In some cases, this has meant start- shark risk mitigation, with a focus on program/successful-sms-annual- ing from almost zero capacity, and attitudes to/awareness of SMART competitive-grants minimal good quality input data. So it Drumlines, listening stations, and the should come as no surprise that the SharkSmart App. The main findings from the report process of learning by doing takes were: time. The over-arching research ques- tion was: “What are the attitudes of 1. People overwhelmingly would One of the reviewers offered this beach and ocean end-users to shark prefer to coexist with sharks (‘it’s assessment, using the metaphor of mitigation since trials of SMART their ocean’). They don’t want a house being built: “Those looking Drumlines?” sharks harmed or killed. from outside can see there’s been 2. People must always take per- a lot of activity but can’t see any The discussions highlighted the sonal responsibility when enter- evidence of the house yet. All that importance of engaging local com- ing the ocean, but at populated activity has been to lay solid founda- munities in policy and strategy sections of the coast they expect tions.” design. Although generally positive patrols and some protection from about shark mitigation, it was clear sharks. Popular beaches are The reviewer highlighted invest- that different communities perceive considered a frontier between ment in training and communications different needs for mitigation, and the protected urban and the materials as examples, as well as hold different attitudes to specific unprotected wild ocean. Away the establishment of the groundwater approaches to surveillance and from protected areas, people are database and the depth of baseline protection. Some communities desire expected to use whatever per- information provided by the house- multiple interventions, some perceive sonal protection is available. hold survey. Now is the time to build they do not have a problem with 3. People prefer mitigation of risk the house. sharks and have no need for inter- and harm from sharks that is vention. non-lethal to sharks and other This project is aligned with the Sus- marine life. There is very strong tainable Development (International) The research report on this study support for developing and theme. is now available on the NSW DPI trialling non-lethal technologies, website https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ devices and other innovations to fishing/sharks/management/smart- replace traditional nets. Completed Projects drumlines 4. The shark problem is real, but it is small compared to the fear of sharks. In every focus group, Rural and Regional Communities Shark deterrents and detection: people said traditional media theme Community perceptions, senti- ment and preferences for shark sensationalise harm and feed management strategies. Simmons, fear, and online media multiply Shark studies P., Mehmet, M. and Clarke, R. (2017) exposure beyond the exponen- Assessment of the attitudes of NSW DPI (NSW Shark Management tial to distort perception. beach and ocean end-users to Strategy (SMS) Competitive Annual 5. Clearer communication and edu- shark mitigation since trials of Grants Program) $50,000 cation are needed for informed SMART Drumlines in NSW. Sim- self-protection from sharks, mons, P., Mehmet, M. (with con- This project used mixed research perspectives of risk, and the tributing authors Curley, B. and methods in two stages. SMS (people need more infor- Wolfenden, K.) (2018- 2019) NSW mation about what is being done DPI, $55,012 Stage One analysed community per- and why). In promoting educa- ceptions publicly available in popular tion and information, we need to This collaborative study of com- social media sites. take care not to feed the fear of munity attitudes to shark mitigation sharks. strategies focussed on five NSW Stage Two used interviews/focus coastal towns – Ulladulla, Kiama, groups with key social and economic Forster, Coffs Harbour and Ballina - stakeholders groups with an interest where SMART Drumlines have been in the ocean or shark management policy. ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 6 Mistletoe in macadamia Building knowledge Opinion orchards Environmental Monitoring and Reconnaissance and recommen- Training for Aboriginal Communi- dations on mistletoe management ties. Wassens, S., Allan, C., Whit- in macadamia orchards. Watson, sed, R. & Bond, J. (2017-2018) NSW D. & Watson, J. (2018-2019) Hor- OEH, $20,000. ticulture Innovation Australia Ltd, $15,000 The “Building knowledge of Country and measuring its health” project This project aimed to identify practi- [working title] was funded by the cal approaches to mistletoe man- NSW National Parks and Wildlife agement in macadamia orchards Service until 2018, with in-kind sup- that growers could readily adopt to port from the Faculty of Science and reduce the impact of mistletoe, with ILWS. the main focus being on the issues experienced by growers in the Bun- The project followed a a participa- tory, co-research design, where daberg region, Queensland. by environmental sociologist Dr Indigenous communities across the Jonathon Howard A reconnaissance survey was under- Murrumbidgee, Edward and Murray rivers explored environmental moni- taken in the Bundaberg and Gympie A warm welcome to 2019 regions to identify: toring opportunities and challenges. • The factors most influencing The research design included an 2019 got off to a hectic start. We mistletoe abundance initial participatory mapping exercise, discovered the oceans are warming • The most promising strategies which was then complemented by more rapidly than previously pre- to support immediate improved on-Country meetings with relevant dicted and that ocean warming has management. industry practitioners. contributed to over 13,000 people being stung by jellyfish in south- The researchers also ran a work- The aim of the project was to work ern Queensland. We also learned shop with consultants and growers with communities to identify ele- extreme heat wiped out almost one where they reported on management ments of environmental monitoring third of Australia’s spectacled flying options and recommendations for that they would like to pursue, and fox population. Closer to home, sto- future research. how this might be best supported in ries about the Murray Darling Basin future learning and development of have made the headlines. I have In his Final Report David Watson employment activities. been both inspired and horrified by says that current approaches to these. orchard establishment and manage- Project activities highlighted the ment increase the susceptibility of complexity of the environmental Inspired? I was most inspired by the macadamias to mistletoe infection. water system and the challenges for Fish Passage conference hosted Indigenous communities in access- by ILWS in Albury. I was sponsored “The most effective mistletoe control ing cultural water, in addition to other by WWF to attend and report on the in Macadamia orchards is to apply natural resource management issues presentations. The WWF partners integrated pest management prin- such as the management of feral with governments, businesses, ciples: monitor regularly to detect animals and access to Country. international financial institutions infections and reinfections, remove and communities around the globe existing mistletoes, adjust canopy However, the project also highlighted to ensure healthy freshwater sys- management to reduce susceptibility opportunities such as developing tems. I listened to the world-class and decrease likelihood of reinfec- improved institutional collaborations, research ILWS is doing; as well as tion, and work with natural enemies the role of environmental monitoring how vital passage is to the survival to reduce mistletoe vigour,” writes in the water management process of fish populations and that each David. and the various techniques and ele- species has different needs and ments that it covers, and the poten- requires different designs. Perhaps “Further research is needed to estab- tial for future training in the water most importantly it became apparent lish best-practice removal methods, governance space for improved to me that fish passage is not only estimate the effect of mistletoe infec- inclusion. about the fish: the livelihood of many tion on macadamia tree growth and local communities that depend on yield and explore cost-effective con- A report is being developed for NSW these fish is also at stake. trol strategies that align with existing NPWS. Many of the learnings and orchard operations.” relationships from this program are Horrified? Shortly after attending the now being further developed as part fish passage conference, I learnt of the newly-awarded LTIM Phase 2 that up to 1 million fish died along a project for the Murrumbidgee region, 20km stretch of the lower Darling. led by A/Prof Skye Wassens. This project is also aligned with the Envi- more next page ronmental Water theme. ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 7 Moreover the Bureau of Metrology • Requirements for the water accrued more than 2 million predicts the environmental stresses holder to undertake extensive views, that helped trigger this fish kill are stakeholder consultation appear • Other, smaller, groups are now likely to persist in 2019. Which to limit our agility to use this tool. gaining a voice when they could means that more large-scale fish kills • It must rely on state govern- not before. See the views of may occur in 2019 and it likely the ments and their agencies to recreational fishers, and some Murray will also have algal blooms. deliver its water. graziers, look for Tolarno Station, • According to a review by Earnest Murray Basin fishers and Com- I have been involved in water man- and Young, current processes pleat angler on Facebook agement for over 20 years. Firstly as create unique fraud risks. • Over 150 people protested in a Ministerial appointment to various • Although it is a ‘public good’- Menindee when the Minister water reform committees, and more environmental water can be sold visited and around 100,000 recently as representative of the for private use or accessed when signatures have been gathered Inland Rivers Network, the Lifeblood river levels rise on petitions asking for a review Alliance, and the River Fellows. The of water management in the algal bloom that helped trigger the Water Access Darling River recent fish kills in the lower Darling • The Four Corners investigation was nothing new. In February 2004 a showed that not all water users Now to answer those questions. similar fish kill stretched for over 160 play by the rules. Compliance Should we expect recurrent blue- km on the Lower Darling River. has become a key issue. There green algal blooms in the Murray are four separate inquiries into Darling Basin? And what does this In 1991 an algal bloom affected more the allegations raised by Four say about river management? than 1,000 km of the Darling River, Corners. The Murray River has also had its • In the Darling there are reports There is no reason for us to accept share of blooms, in: 2007, 2009, of thefts of up to 1 billion litres. algal blooms as a ‘recurrent norm’. I 2010, and 2016. Reservoir opera- appreciate reconciling the demands tions appear to be a critical factor in Transition to the Basin Plan for freshwater by agriculture with most of these blooms and reservoir • The $12billion plan started only finite freshwater resources remains levels are currently very low. So relatively recently - in 2012. one of the great policy dilemmas on while the blooms may be no surprise, • In this current transition period, our planet. However if communities should we expect recurrent blue- the States are developing water in the Basin are going to survive into green algal blooms in the Murray resource plans. Many of drafts of the future we have to learn to live Darling Basin? And what does this these plan simplify management together. say about river management? and monitoring, have objec- tives that are outputs rather than I also appreciate these different Before I give my opinion on these outcomes, and suggest future views create tensions. Moreover questions, let’s look at what makes monitoring regimes that are not when remarkable events (such as recent events unique: aligned to address risks or objec- the fish kills) make the headlines, tives. those different views are often tem- The Environment • Following the completion of porary and localised. Ultimately it • 2018 was one of the hottest and the Northern Basin Review, in is self-evident we all live in the one driest years on record. In the 2017 there was a reduction in catchment. It puts great pressure on northern basin river flows are the water recovery target in the us to create a shared meaning. normally around 4000gl, but this northern basin. year they were only about 30gl. • Climate change has largely been Now turning to the question about • Immediately prior to the fish kill ignored in the existing plan. The water management. We need to the Lower Darling had ceased effect of climate change on water change. The current approach flowing and was reduced to a availability is now only just being encourages mismanagement and series of remnant pools. considered ‘gaslighting’ by lobby groups, indus- • This was the second such fish • When NSW stepped away from try, and government. To be clear, I kill in the region, and the fourth the Basin agreement in 2013, am not blaming government or ‘the for the Basin, this year. Evidence it led to MDBA having to shelve plan’- but more specifically ‘govern- is mounting that many of the fish the Basin’s native fish strategy ance’. My opinion is based largely on in this more recent kill were old • Since 2012 NSW scientists have how the: enough to have experienced and warned that what was proposed 1. politics of climate change has survived previous critical events. by water planners for the Darling affected planning in the Basin • One million fish deaths is at a would lead to fish kills. 2. how de-democratisation has scale that exceeds previous limited wider public participation, events New forms of advocacy and • People are increasingly using 3. how the idealism associated with Environmental Water social media and other online economic rationalism has domi- • We now have made a significant tools to promote their views. nated operations. investment (around $3 billion A Facebook video posted by All these pressures have cruelled our dollars) in environmental water. two farmers on the fish kill, has ability to manage one of our greatest ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 8 natural resource assets. independent scientific advisor Max informed by evidence,” says Profes- attended a Lake Cowal Foundation sor Max Finlayson. That is right…the recent fish kills meeting in Sydney, November 26, for are a bloody mess. And not just for a discussion on developing an eco- “The next step is to set up a working wildlife and the river, but also the logical framework for Lake Cowal. party to develop the terms of refer- local community, the indigenous He also attended a meeting of the ence for a more formal relationship custodians, and a range of stake- West Wyalong Cowal Community between the Balranald Shire and the holder groups. Even when there Engagement Panel, December 4-5 to Institute to progress this further.” were many signals and warnings discuss developments of the mine in about what could occur, successive relation to the local community. Research Activities governments have continued to be selective about the laws, relation- Meeting with Balranald Shire Human-deer conflict ships, systems and processes that Representatives from Balranald A new research activity looking at the effect this precious natural asset. It Shire - Mayor Alan Purtill, Cr Trevor human-deer conflict is underway. falls squarely on our shoulders to Joliffe, General Manager Michael Kit- The project Oh deer: exploring the advocate for a change that enables zelmann, and Director of Infrastruc- narratives of human-deer con- governance processes can operate ture, Ray Davey - visited the Institute flict in North Eastern Victoria has at scale and take a bigger picture at CSU’s Albury-Wodonga campus received $9953 funding from CSU perspective without fear or favour. on January 31. Green.

This means: i) having more demo- The team were here to engage with Deer numbers in North East Victo- cratic and transparent processes, the Institute (they met with Institute ria have exploded in recent years ii) more robust water accounting, Director Professor Max Finlayson, increasing human-deer conflict iii) having a commitment to secure Associate Professor Andrew Hall, (HDC) as humans and deer compete environmental water; iv) including Associate Professor Skye Wassens, for space and resources. considerations about water quality in Associate Professor Catherine Allan deliberations, iv), and managing for a and Associate Professor Lee Baum- “Conflict issues include road safety, climate changed future. gartner) and to discuss development environmental degradation, and loss and implementation of a Waterways of productivity on private land,” says The question is can we change in and Wetlands Management Plan social scientist Dr Jen Bond who is time? Suggesting we put fish back for the shire, particularly in light of also a member of the Hume Region- into the river when it has no water recent algal blooms and fish deaths al Deer Forum. is a naive response to a difficult in the region. problem. “Underlying HDC is human-human The purpose of the meeting was to conflict, regarding what is and what begin developing a comprehensive should be. Different stakeholders Engagement & Link- management plan led by locals, have different perspectives and ages: Regional informed by science and local knowl- values of how deer should be inter- edge, that will operate within existing acted with (i.e. protected, eradicated, rules. hunted etc.) Stakeholder Engagement “Our mutual goal is to have a healthy “It is important to understand the nar- Lake Cowal river system with multiple uses ratives through which these perspec- Professor Max Finlayson, as its that includes the community and is tives and values are manifested in order to understand this underlying Below. Representatives from Balranald Shire meeting with Institute members human-human conflict more holisti- cally, and design pubic consultation and policy process which are respon- sive.”

Jen will start with a desktop study - utilising historical, media and social media data - as the basis of empiri- cal research with key informants in the deer management space.

The project is a scoping study for a broader human-deer conflict project.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 9 programs, such as Creative Ageing Engagement & Linkages: National Art, Hands-On-Heritage, and TimeS- lips Heritage, have not been formally researched, despite Port Macquarie Conferences, seminars & tion monitoring being recognised by Dementia Aus- workshops • Joshua Hodges (ILWS PhD tralia NSW as a community taking student) - Evidence for direct positive steps to make it dementia- Feral Horse Impacts effects of fire-cues on germina- friendly.” CSU Media Release Two papers by Institute members tion of some forbs common in were presented at Feral Horse grassy ecosystems Data Mining Conference Impacts: The Kosciuszko Science • Dr Jodi Price - Multivariate Dr Lihong Zheng was the co-author Conference, held in Canberra drivers of diversity in temperate of a paper Sequential Deep Learning November 8. grasslands (poster presentation) for Action Recognition with Synthetic Multi-View Data from Depth Maps, Professor David Watson gave a Arts, health & dementia presented at the 6th Australasian paper on “Championing science Professor Rylee Dionigi took the Data Mining Conference 2018 at information- marshalling expert opportunity to present a research CSU Bathurst, Nov 28-30. opinion for policy development: per- proposal which aims to enhance the sonalised engagement complements quality of life of people living with group efforts” and Professor Max dementia in the Mid North Coast Research Activities Finlayson was co-author of a paper region by examining their experi- Conditioned taste aversion research presented by Associate Professor ences in creative and arts-based In 2018 ILWS funded two team Jamie Pittock (ANU) on “Impacts programs at an arts and health projects led by Dr Maggie Watson to to Water – feral horse impacts and conference. research conditioned taste aversion water resources in south eastern (CTA) Australia.” The proposal ‘Creative Ageing: • Thinking Outside the Nest Box— Evaluating Dementia-friendly, Arts- Conditioning Sugar Gliders to The conference was a co-convened based Programs in Port Macquarie, Leave Swift Parrot Eggs Off the conference by the Australian Acad- NSW, Using an Authentic Partner- Menu emy of Science; Fenner School of ship Approach’ was delivered by • Thinking Outside the Picnic Box Environment and Society, Austral- Rylee, local artist and creative – Conditioning Dingoes to Leave ian National University; and Deakin ageing practitioner Ms Lisa Hort, Campsite Food Off the Menu University. and Ms Debbie Sommers from Port Macquarie Museum and Historical For the Thinking Outside the Nest ESA 2018 Society at the 10th Annual Interna- Box project, Maggie Watson travelled ILWS was well represented at the tional Arts and Health Conference in to Tasmania three times (in Decem- Ecological Society of Australia’s Port Macquarie, November 12-15. ber last year and twice in January Annual Conference, held November this year) to oversee a pilot project 25-29 in Brisbane, Queensland. Their co-researchers include CSU’s on the use of conditioned taste aver- Presentations included: Associate Professor Rosemary Black sion on introduced sugar gliders to • Associate Professor Dale Nimmo and Associate Professor Maree Ber- determine if this is a good conserva- - The people Paradox – restor- noth, as well as international expert tion option for preventing gliders from ing the ecological functions of Professor Sherry Dupuis from the eating swift parrot eggs. people in the Anthropocene.’ University of Waterloo, Canada. (Speednote presentation) • Prof David Watson - Post- “The arts are Below: Dr Maggie Watson searching through a nest Anthropocene conservation: a powerful what can we do to maximise life way to trans- on earth after we’re gone? form the lives • Dr Geoff Heard- Disturbance has of individuals benefits as well as costs for frag- and reduce mented populations of a cryptic the stigma grassland reptile and social • Harry Moore (ILWS PhD stu- exclusion dent) - Quantifying niche shift in associated declining species: The northern with people quoll as a case study living with • Dr Maggie Watson - Biting the dementia,” host that feeds you — context- says Rylee. dependent relationships between symbionts and their hosts “Current local • Dr James Van Dyke - Turtles as dementia- canaries in coal mines: co-opting friendly arts ecotoxicology to justify popula- and health

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 10 “My team and I, including Dr Dejan test and manufacture different Stojanovic from ANU, are testing if 3D-printed tree hollows to use. sugar gliders will avoid eggs if we train them to think eggs taste bad,” “As climate conditions become says Maggie. hotter and drier in southern Australia, many places where “This technique has been used to animals used to live are becom- prevent predation of ground nest- ing uninhabitable,” says David. ing birds and turtles, but never in a “This project, which involves hollow nesting species. Predation Honours student Mick Callan, by sugar gliders is a real problem responds to the challenge of in Tasmania, so we are hopeful that climate change, developing our pilot project will lead to a larger innovative ways to make homes project next year.” for wildlife that can handle climatic extremes, from summer For the Thinking Outside the Picnic heatwaves to winter cold snaps. Box project, the funding was used for Prof Manohar Pawar with A/Prof David travel and training of NSW National “By mimicking naturally occur- Androff, secretary general of the ICSD and a co-researcher at the ICSD booth in the Parks personnel in Port Macquarie ring structures and using new 64th APM conference of the CSWE. as well as the purchase of chemicals technology to make structures for CTA in dingoes. A CTA trial is cur- that can be integrated into build- the information about the new rently underway. ings, streetlights and other parts of International Journal of Community the built environment, we are helping and Social Development (https:// “NSW Parks are eager to find ways Australian wildlife adapt to changing au.sagepub.com/en-gb/oce/the-inter- of preventing dingoes from becom- climates.” national-journal-of-community-and- ing nuisance animals, and are very social-development/journal203511); hopeful that CTA will be a good collect new material on learning and management option in future,” says Engagement & Link- teaching; and continue joint research Maggie. ages: International relating to the ICSD,” says Manohar.

Artificial tree hollows Social work conference in India Professor David Watson is lead- Conferences Professor Manohar Pawar attended ing a one year CSU Green funded the DYUTI 2019 Global Social project (nearly $10,000) Artificial Council of Social Work Education Work Conference on Multi-sectoral tree hollows- thinking outside the Professor Manohar Pawar attended and Interdisciplinary Responses to that is developing and trialing a box the 64th Annual program meeting Health and Well-being, January 9-11, new type of nesting box expected to (APM) conference on “Expand- 2019. perform better under extreme climate ing inter-professional education to conditions than current wooden achieve social justice” which was The conference was organised by boxes. organised by the Council on Social the Rajagiri College of Social Sci- Work Education, USA, November ences (Autonomous), Kochi, Kerala, The team, a collaboration between 8-11, 2018, in Orlando, Florida. India. ILWS and CSU Engineering, is using detailed knowledge of target spe- Manohar, as president of the Inter- His participation in the conference cies such as red-rumped parrots and national Consortium for Social included: striated pardalotes to develop, field Development (ICSD) organised the • Presenting the felicitation ICSD Board meeting and chaired the address during the inaugural proceedings on November 8 at the Below: New types of nest boxes ceremony 64th APM in Orlando. • Delivering a plenary speech on ‘Health and wellbeing: The role Manohar says attending of informal and formal care’ the conference resulted in • Chairing a plenary session on a number of outcomes. ‘Health care in different popula- “Participation in the tions’ conference and the • Participating in a panel discus- board meeting helped to sion on ‘Social workers’ role in expand the international health care: the role of social engagement; promote the workers in informal and formal 21st ICSD conference care’ on 11th January 2019. to be held in Indonesia, • Giving a feedback address 16-19 July 2019 (https:// during the valedictory program. easychair.org/cfp/jogja- 2019icsd); disseminate more next page

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 11 groups to see if he could do some field work with them. While here he worked for a couple of weeks with the Quantitative Ecology Research Group at the University of Mel- bourne, as well as the Institute’s Dr Keller Kopf who he found “by looking up his and Paul Humphries’ research because it aligns very closely with what we do over in Norway.” Sam also attended the Australian Society of Fish Biology Conference in Mel- bourne in October.

Above: Participants in the Indian Rajagiri and arts as well as a Diploma of The paper that Keller and Sam are Social Work short term visit program of- Modern Languages (German) - at working on is looking at range con- fered by CSU Global. Melbourne University. In 2014 he tractions of fish in the Murray Darling went to Bremen University in north- Basin. “In the last 40 or 50 years ern Germany to do a Masters in the climate has warmed a little in While in India Manohar also gave Ecology which involved spending an already warm part of the world,” a lecture on ‘Global Standards in three months in Canada working on says Sam. “There is speculation that Social Work Education’ during a five a small research project on a water a warming climate may actually be day workshop (Jan 15-19) on the flea, daphnia. somewhat better for native fish, but MSW curriculum revision for Mahat- there are quite a few studies that ma Gandhi University. The work- However he found that “less interest- say this may not be the case. At the shop was organised by the Rajagiri ing than expected” and decided to same time you’ve had the incursion College of Social Sciences (Autono- focus “on a more charismatic spe- of species like carp, brown trout, mous), Kalamassery, Kochi, India. cies”, hence his Master’s thesis was redfin perch…the IUCN list for fresh- on moose which he wrote while on water fish in Australia needs some Manohar also led the Indian Rajagiri exchange with NTNU. work. We want to see if we can Social Work short term visit program contribute some of our knowledge, offered by CSU Global. Eight CSU “It was a behavioural ecology project with some models to show range social work and human services stu- but I found I didn’t enjoy behavioural contraction for some of the larger dents joined the program, from Jan 7 ecology that much and would rather bodied species. to 20, which included participating in work on an interesting ecological the DYUTI 2019 Global Social Work theme or discipline rather than an “I think it is quite important that Conference and visits to welfare and interesting species,” says Sam as to humans stop focussing on a spe- developmental agencies in and sur- why he has chosen his current area cies when there are only 50 or five rounding Kochi, Kerala India. of study. left in the wild and start focussing on them a little earlier - when popula- Visitors Firstly, the topic on offer by NTNU tion decline has set in - rather than appealed to him “being from Aus- only worrying about them at the last Sam Perrin tralia where we have real issues with moment.” Visiting the Institute twice in Novem- climate change and just a really bad ber for a couple of weeks at a time history with invasive species.” Sec- Sam sees public outreach as an was PhD student Sam Perrin from ondly, “working conditions in Norway important part of being a researcher the Norwegian University of Science for a PhD student are magnificent… and has his own website, Ecology and Technology (NTNU). and the process of being able to for the Masses, and wrote an article study there is just so easy.” on his experiences out in the field. Sam, whose PhD is looking at the effect of climate change on fresh- Sam, who had water fish communities, particularly planned on in regards to invasive species, was returning to here to write a collaborative paper Australia this with Dr Keller Kopf (pictured right year to do some with Sam) as well as to do some networking and field work for the project Keller leads travelling with his Native and invasive fish dispersal, Norwegian part- spawning and trophic dynamics ner and stepson, during a managed river-floodplain was encouraged connection funded by CEWO. by his university to contact Aus- Sam did his undergraduate stud- tralian research ies – a double degree in science ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 12 Fish Passage 2018 International Conference on River Connectivity Incorporating the First Symposium on Hydropower and Fish Management Albury NSW, December 10 -14 2018

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 13 Fish Passage 2018 - Overview

A resounding success cial support from ACIAR, sponsors tries including the USA, Lao PDR, Hydro Tasmania, the NSW Govern- Romania, Germany, Indonesia, the The Fish Passage 2018 – Interna- ment, and the Fisheries Research Netherlands, South Africa, Myanmar, tional Conference on River Connec- and Development Corporation and Vietnam, Cambodia, the UK, Italy, tivity held in Albury December 10 to support from various agencies, it Brazil –as well as Australia and New 14 last year at the Albury Entertain- also received extensive media cover- Zealand – spent the day listening ment Centre has certainly put Albury, age, both regionally and nationally. to presentations and brainstorming CSU and ILWS “on the international ideas around the workshop’s six map.” “The delegates were very pleased objectives. The workshop identified with the event overall,” says Lee. the relative importance of the main Hailed as a resounding success, the “Being part of an international series, factors associated with irrigation conference, which incorporated the we have the benefit of learning from impacts on inland fisheries and liveli- First Symposium on Hydropower and previous events. The challenge for hoods, biodiversity, food security, Fish Management, attracted over us was to create an “Australian” ecosystems services. 359 delegates from over 30 countries experience”. around the world. But it was the conference’s welcome Among other things, the confer- reception and cultural evening which It was the first time the conference, ence’s success could be attributed to certainly helped set the tone for the co-hosted by NSW Department of the work of its organising committee, event’s duration. Primary Industries- Fisheries and the advisory board, and steering commit- Institute for Land, Water and Soci- tee, over the past two years. Dr Luiz Uncle Phil Duncan, a member of ety, had been held in the Southern Silva organised the Hydropower and the Gomeroi Nation and Aboriginal Hemisphere. Fish Management Symposium. Training coordinator at Macquarie University gave an inspiring speech, “We were keen to show the recent A number of pre-conference work- and Wiradjuri elder Yalmambirra, advances we have made in Australia shops were held at CSU Albury- and Mahlie Ingram, a nine year old and in Southeast Asia in fish pas- Wodonga campus at Thurgoona local primary school student, per- sage technologies,” says conference including an ILWS-organised work- formed a traditional smoking cer- co-convenor Dr Lee Baumgartner as shop seeking to link the Sustain- emony and welcome to country in to why Australia put up its hand in able Development Goals concept which all conference attendees were 2016. (Fellow convenor was Mat- to global inland fisheries production invited to participate in. thew Gordos, from NSW DPI.) “SDGs, fisheries production and irrigation modernisation”. There was then a cultural dance That decision certainly paid off. The by Adrian Sullivan and his nephew conference not only attracted finan- Twenty-six participants from coun- Ronald Sullivan.

Below: Twenty-six participants from around the world took part in an ILWS organised pre-conference workshop on SDGs, fisheries production and irrigation modernisation

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 14 Uncle Phil also went to a research team led by Dr gave the first Lee Baumgartner; the launch of the of the confer- Wetland Book 1 and 2, of which ence’s keynotes Professor Max Finlayson is the lead on “Indigenous editor; the public lecture by National Engagement & Geographic Channel presenter and Inclusion in Fish University of Nevada academic Dr Passageway Zeb Hogan; and the announcement Initiative.” of the 2018 Career Achievement Award which went to Institute Adjunct “One of the key Professor Mallen-Cooper (see story things about on page 18) today’s presen- tation, for me, Distinguished Project Award is nothing about us without us,” The Distinguished Project Award for Uncle Phil told the project Fish Passage research an attentive and development at low-head Conference participants take part in a traditional smoking barriers in Southeast Asia recog- ceremony. audience. nises the collaborative efforts of the “I use the frac- National University of Laos, the Lao tured aboriginal Living Aquatic Resources Centre, flag because ILWS and the NSW Department of we are still a Primary Industries in developing fractured soci- effective fish passage criteria at low- ety. head barriers in the Mekong River catchment in Lao PDR. “We are still always looking “From the start the diverse project for partnerships team engaged with people on the and opportu- ground and relevant Lao govern- nities for the ment departments in all aspects of betterment of the research,” says Lee. “This has our cultural led to a new “fish passage curricu- landscapes and lum” at the National University, while for our tradi- also involving the local community in tional ecological fishway construction and monitoring.” L to R: Yalmambirra, Uncle Phil and Mahlie Ingram at the Wel- knowledge to come to Country ceremony. be interwoven This project developed from a small into modern project that commenced under the day science. auspices of ACIAR in 2006.

“Nothing about us without us. I think It was considered by a panel of inter- there is a changing trend in western national judges as a best-practice science with it valuing the knowl- exemplar of research in develop- edge that we’ve gained over thou- ment, particularly considering the dif- sands of years. I think it is important ficulties inherent in natural resource that there be recognition of how management in some developing we’ve cared for and interacted with countries. our country prior to colonisation and post…it still exists. “When we first started this project there was not even a word in the “It’s important that we keep those Lao language for fish ladder!” says stories about our lore (L.O.R.E) and Lee. “Little did we suspect that the my interpretation of your word of Lao scientists that commenced in law, is L.A.W - land, air and water, this project would now recognised water- because that is significant to globally as experts in fishways, and my lifestyle and aboriginal society.” be leading implementation in other countries.” Other than the many and varied conference presentations, other more next page Dancers Adrian Sullivan (right) and his highlights of the conference were nephew Ronald Sullivan the announcement of the 2018 Distinguished Project Award which ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 15 He explained that while it was expen- sive to buy the complete book, it is also available on-line with a process for specific chapters to be down- loaded.

Public Lecture The free Public Lecture at the Albury Entertainment Centre with Dr Zeb Hogan (who also gave academic presentations at the conference) drew a crowd of over 300. Zeb, who presents the National Geographic program “Monster Fish”, has long been an advocate for maintain- ing fish migration routes which are essential for feeding and spawning.

The research team, led by Lee Baum- Structure and Function, Man- An enthusiastic speaker, his pres- gartner, which won the Distinguished agement and Methods and entation was both entertaining and project Award at the conference Finlayson, C.M., Milton, R., informative and included accounts Prentice, C., & Davidson, N.C. of the megafish, including Australia’s Launches (Eds) (2018) The Wetland Book iconic Murray cod, that he has II: Distribution, Description, and caught around the world. The Poster Session at the confer- Conservation, both by Springer ence on the Wednesday evening Publishers, Dordrecht. “We know what the world’s largest was also used to launch: land animal is, the African elephant, • the Special Issue of Marine & The two volumes of The Wetland we know what the world’s larg- Freshwater Research “Fish Pas- Book are divided into three separate est animal is, the blue whale, but sage 2018 & Hydropower Sym- books and represents a massive we don’t know the world’s largest posium” produced specifically eight year under-taking. freshwater fish,” said Zeb as to why for the conference and given to he began researching megafish 10 all attendees. The Special Issue “Book One, which is 2238 pages, years ago. “To me this really indi- was launched by Dr Luiz Silva. has 292 chapters and 214 authors,” cated our lack of knowledge, maybe • the book Brink, K., P. Gough, said Max. “Book Two, which is 2142 lack of appreciation of some of these J. Royte, P.P. Schollema & H. pages, has 170 chapters, and 256 big freshwater fish. The Mekong Wanningen (2018) From the Sea authors which adds up to a lot…what giant catfish is also critically endan- to Source 2.0: Protection and we have tried to do and have now gered and is on the edge of extinc- restoration of fish migration in done is develop an encyclopedia-like tion. So not only did I want to learn, rivers worldwide (which was also collation of information for people to start a project to find, study and given to all attendees) who are interested in aquatic eco- protect the world’s largest freshwa- • the books Finlayson, C.M, systems - wetlands, lakes, rivers and ter fish, I also wanted to understand Everard, M., Irvine, K., McInnes, so on. While we call it the Wetland whether or not our big fish in other R.J., Middleton, B.A., van Dam Book it’s pretty broad in coverage.” parts of the world face the same A.A., & Davidson, N.C. (Eds) threats as the Mekong giant catfish.” (2018) The Wetland Book I:

Professor Max Finlayson with his The Wetland Books Dr Zeb Hogan at the free Public Lecture ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 16 Presentations Institute researchers and adjuncts presented a wide selection of papers at the Fish Passage 2018 conference. They were:

Baumgartner, L. Reducing slope improves small fish passage through a Denil fishway

Baumgartner, L.J., Grieve, B., Robinson, W., Silva, L.G.M., Pomorin, K., Thorncraft, G., Ning, N. Evaluating the placement of PIT tags in tropical river fishes: a case study involving two Mekong River species

Baumgartner, L., Boys, C., Marsden, T., McPherson, J., Ning, N., Phonekhampheng, O., Robinson, W., Singha- nouvong, D., Stuart, I., Thorncraft, G. A cautionary tale about the inhibitory effects of gaged culverts on fish pas- sage restoration efforts

Boys, C., Pflugrath, B., Müller, M., Pander, J., Deng, Z.D., Geist, J. Sensing what fish feel about passage through three different low-head hydropower turbines

Conallin, J., Lunn, Z., Baumgartner, L.J., Thein, H., Chan, N. The importance of determining and maintaining migration corridors for the Hilsa Shad fishery in Myanmar Inland Rivers

Finlayson, M. Connectivity for future freshwater conservation – biophysical and institutional issues

Mallen-Cooper, M., Baumgartner, L., Stuart, I., Zampatti, B. The challenge of passing small and large fish in rivers with highly variable hydrology,

Mallen-Cooper, M. Fish Passage; the Art of the Possible (Keynote)

Mallen-Cooper, M. Re-thinking the hydropower design process: reversing global trends in fisheries decline requires new approaches and techniques

Marsden, T., Stuart, I. How low do we go- Advances in fish passage technology for small fish (<100 mm long!)

Marsden, T., Stuart, I., Rice, W. Beyond headloss: do we have the right ecological and hydraulic metrics to deter- mine successful fish passage in rock ramp fishways?

Marsden, T., Stuart, I., Berghuis, A. The cone fishway, a new fishway type suitable for the passage of juvenile tropi- cal fish species in Queensland, Australia

Millar, J., Baumgartner, L., Robinson, W., Homsombath, K. Listening to local knowledge to inform fish passage and fisheries management

Robinson, W.A., Duncan, M., Martin, K. Build it and they will come. Or will they? Golden Perch in Koondrook Per- ricoota Forest.

Silva, L.G.M., Beirão, B., Brown, R., Walker, R. Determining barotrauma in the Pictus catfish, Primelodus pictus, experimentally exposed to simulated hydropower turbine passage, Sensing what fish feel about passage through three different low-head hydropower turbines

Silva, L.G.M., Beirão, B., Falcao, R., Castro, A., Dias, E. Warning, it’s a catfish! Novel approaches are needed to study the effects of rapid decompression on benthonic species

Silva, L.G.M. (2018) Twenty years of fish passage policies establishment in Brazil: a review of the current status of fish passage science

Svozil, D., Mujica, L.P., Silva, L.G.M. Exploring outcomes and assumptions of successful fish passage in the Murray-Darling Basin using individual-based modelling

Thiem, J. Move it or lose it: restoring movement pathways for fish in freshwater rivers

Vu Vi, A., Baumgartner, L., Cowx, I., Mallen-Cooper, M., Howitt, J., Robinson, W. Using otoliths to quantify diadromy in the Lower Mekong Basin

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 17 Fish Passage 2018 - People & Partners

Professor Martin Mallen- ways for salmon, and continued to “Initially I only had enough work for Cooper use that technology until the 1980s. half-time,” recalls Martin, “but the consulting gradually built up over a “Many of those old fishways are still couple of years, became full-time, there but they are too steep and too then six days a week for more than turbulent, and they don’t pass many 20 years.” fish.” Martin is based in Sydney but his Martin, who has “always had an work takes him to all the states and absolute passion for fish, I’ve been territories in Australia, Cambodia, fishing since I could stand up,” com- Laos, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, pleted his degree in aquatic science and New Zealand. He sits on all at Sydney University of Technology major Australian government fish in 1979 before starting his career in passage assessment panels and NSW Fisheries. was an instrumental member of the Sea-to-Hume Dam Fish Pas- His interest in, and research on, sage Task Force which oversaw the fish passage began in 1985 when investment of $77M and rehabilitated he undertook the first research in fish passage along the Murray River Institute Adjunct Professor Martin Australia on the swimming abilities of for 2225km. Mallen-Cooper was honoured at the native fish and the impacts of turbu- Fish Passage 2018 conference for lence on fishway design. Martin says he always works as a his impressive contribution to the member of a team or in partnership field with the Fish Passage Career “The credit goes to NSW Fisher- with others. “Sometimes I might sub- Achievement Award. ies for setting up a fish passage consult people; they might sub-con- research program,” says Martin. He sult me…I have very fluid arrange- For three decades Martin has been was employed in the program from ments with colleagues,” says Martin Australia’s foremost authority on 1985 to 1995. who has known the Institute’s Dr Lee fish passage with extensive experi- Baumgartner for some 20 years and ence in the field both nationally and “I was doing research and apply- has worked with him on “many, many internationally. ing the results of the research so projects.” we were designing fishways and Recognised for his ability to com- doing research in the field and in the Currently he is working with him municate and negotiate with people lab, gradually refining our designs, on the large fish passage research from all disciplines over a wide range and applying the findings from our project, developing a short course of countries and projects, Martin’s research, ” says Martin who oversaw on fish passage design for the passion for the importance of fish the construction of the first ever fish- Mekong countries, with the pos- passage and getting the design and way designed explicitly for Australian sibility of developing a more formal construction right for local conditions native fish; a vertical-slot fishway CSU course. Martin was involved in and fish species is unabated. at Torrumbarry Weir on the Murray a recent workshop held in Bangkok, River. teaching fish passage. These days that passion encom- passes teaching others about fish The fishway Professor Martin Mallen-Cooper with Dr Lee Baumgartner at passage design. was completed the conference in 1996 and As Martin explains, the concept of has passed fish passage isn’t new with the first millions of fish built in France 300 years ago. since.

“But really, in the northern hemi- Martin left NSW sphere, it’s been since the 1850s,” Fisheries in says Martin. “In Australia, as irriga- 1995 to set up tion took off in the 1880s and 90s, his own consul- the impact on fish migration became tancy business - obvious and the earliest fish pas- Fishway Con- sage in Australia was built, I think, in sulting Services 1906. - which he has run since. “Australia used best available tech- nology at the time, which was fish- ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 18 Myanmar- a new partner to rice. Traditionally Myanmar people “That’s been very exciting and a prefer freshwater fish to marine fish. slightly different dimension for me, Myanmar, one of the new partner At this stage, however, there are no to pick up the teaching role,” says countries in the large ILWS fish fish passages in Myanmar; a situ- Martin. “I’m trying to understand how passage research project currently ation the Myanmar representatives to add less detail and communicate underway, was well-represented at hope to rectify. concepts …that’s been a really fun the Fish Passage 2018 conference and challenging thing to do with with a team of four attending includ- “We have come to the conference CSU. ing the Director General of Myan- because we need to learn about fish- mar’s Department of Fisheries, Khin eries and fish passages by learning “For me professionally this is an Maung Maw. from other people’s experience and exciting new direction. I’ve been knowledge,” says DG Khin Muang involved in lots of big hydropower The three others were Nyunt Win, Maw. projects and it is really obvious to me International Relations Project that the senior levels of government Officer, Maung Maung Lwin, Fisher- “We have so many irrigation struc- would really benefit from training ies Director (Kachin State) also from tures in Myanmar, maybe 1000 to help them properly review these the Department of Fisheries, and Kyi water storage dams, weirs, water projects. Wai, an irrigation engineer with the gates….but we have no fish pas- Department of Irrigation. The Depart- sages. Not yet. “I’m one person, whereas at the ments sit within Myanmar’s Ministry workshop we talked to 30 people of Agriculture, Livestock and Irriga- “So we have to start learning which and, at the end of four days, those tion (MOALI) is why we are involved in the fish people had learnt a significant passage research project.” amount and went off to their coun- For all, except Nyunt Win, it was their tries, agencies and governments with first visit to Australia. Funding for the As well as making sure there is the new information. That was very sat- trip came out of the fish passage necessary scientific and engineering isfying….they were fantastic students project funded by USAID and ACIAR. knowledge to ensure that the fish and so engaged. passage design are effective and Maung Maung Lwin’s presentation appropriate, another important step “I was exhausted every day but I am at the conference was on “Impor- in the process is capacity building, going to do it again. I just wish I’d tance of Inland Capture Fisheries for ensuring that the various Govern- started doing this [teaching] 10 years Livelihoods in Myanmar” determining ment Departments and local com- earlier…but thanks to Lee for giving migration corridors and lifecycle cues munities, understand the benefits me the opportunity to engage with are important for key commercial, from fish passages so that they work CSU.” subsistence and conservation of together. freshwater fish. Martin may have published over 40 “It’s about making sure we get the scientific journal papers, over 150 It provided an excellent overview best fish passage design for our technical reports, and advised on the of the impact of inland fish capture rivers and our fish,” says DG Khin design of over 230 fishways, but, as and its importance to the country’s Muang Maw. he says: “I always feel as if I am at people and its economy. the beginning of the learning curve Once the fish passages are built even when it comes to fish passage Fish is one of the country’s most he doesn’t expect to encounter the which people think I know back to important sources of animal protein problem of people fishing in them, as front. I learn something more with and micronutrients with average happens in Indonesia for example. every single job and from the people consumption levels estimated to be I work with; every engineer, every about 24kg/person/year, second only more next page manager, every person.

“I’m always asking questions.”

*Martin is also one of ILWS PhD students, Vi Vu An’s, supervisors. (see story on An and his research on page 25).

Right: (L to R) The team from Myan- mar: Maung Muang Lwin, Dr John Conallin, DG Khin Muang Maw, Kyi Wai and Nyunt Win

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 19 “In our country we have leased areas Dr Arif Wibowo Arif has worked for the Indonesian for inland fishing where the person Government as a researcher in its who owns the lease can control the inland fisheries sector for nearly fishing so we would need to negoti- 15 years. While his main research ate with them if we were to build a interest is in molecular genetics and fish passage in their area,” says DG he has published in that field, he is Khin Muang Maw. also very interested in fish passages issues. “It would be up to the person who owns the lease to patrol, monitor and He and Lee had a paper, “Address- control the situation.” ing fish-passage issuers at hydro- power and irrigation infrastructure All agree it is “exciting” for them, and projects in Indonesia” published early Myanmar, to be part of the fish pas- last year in the journal Marine and sage project and don’t expect it to be Freshwater Research. difficult to achieve outcomes which includes a fish passage demonstra- “Indonesia has a population of 250 tion site by the end of 2019. million of which maybe 40 million depend on fish for their livelihoods “What is lucky for us is that we [the A familiar face at the Fish Passage including those that catch the fish, Department of Fisheries] are now 2018 conference was Dr Arif Wibowo sell them and export them,” says Arif. partnering with the Department of from Indonesia. Irrigation so we can work together to “Fish are very important from both a achieve successful fish passages,” Arif was last in Albury visiting the food security and economic per- says DG Khin Maung Maw. Institute and Dr Lee Baumgartner in spective. For example, every year December 2017 as a member of a the harvesting and trade of Anguilla The team all agree they have learnt team of Indonesian experts scoping eel is worth US $30million to the much from attending the confer- collaborative opportunities around Indonesian economy. But now this ence and listening to the presenta- fish passage sites in Indonesia. eel, which is a migratory species, is tions from other countries. “Seeing being threatened because there are is believing,” says DG Khin Muang “I had won a grant from the Austral- many new dams being built on rivers Maw when it comes to examples of ian National University, the purpose across Indonesia. effective fish passages. of which was to initiate collaboration between Indonesian and Australian “Now we are looking for advice on The CSU and ILWS relationship with scientists,” says Arif. how to mitigate this threat by using Myanmar stems back to the Fish fish passages. In the upcoming year Passage conference in 2016 in Laos The grant covered travel expenses alone there are plans for another 80 when the Department of Fisheries for the Indonesians to visit Australia dams, 10 of which are major hydro first met Dr Lee Baumgartner and Dr and for Dr Lee Baumgartner to make and irrigation dams, throughout John Conallin. a reciprocal visit which he did in July Indonesia.” last year. “We both had a good idea at the With around 86 million Indonesians same time, to see fish passages in Arif, who is based at Palembang, still lacking basis access to electric- Myanmar, says Dr John Conallin who Sumatra, holds two positions within ity, the hydro-dams are being built to now leads the Myanmar component the Ministry of Marine Affairs & boost the country’s power supplies. of the fish passage project. Fishery in Indonesia – Director of the Arif says that Indonesia has only two Research Institute for Inland Fisher- fish passages. However these pas- “We are so excited to be working ies, and Chief of IFRDMD (Inland sages were designed for northern with CSU and ACIAR on the first Fishery Resources Development hemisphere species such as salmon, ever collaborative project in Myan- and Management Department)- and aren’t effective. mar,” says DG Khin Muang Maw. SEAFDEC (Southeast Asian Fisher- ies Development Centre). “When the Government built these fish passages they found they were At the conference Arif gave two not working, so why should it build presentations, one on “Assessing any more?” explains Arif. He says the effectiveness of the first fish the other difficulty is that the Govern- passage facility to enhance sustain- ment Department responsible for ability of inland fishery resources in building the dams is the Department an Indonesian River: a case study of Public Works. in Komering River, South Sumatra, Indonesia,” the other on “Fish Pas- “Usually when they plan to build a sage Challenges and Opportunities dam they ask the Fisheries Depart- in Indonesia.” ment how to build the fish ladders or passages,” says Arif. “We know ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 20 about them but don’t have the exper- tise to advise the Department of Professor Jürgen Public Works. It is very important for Geist us now to get that expertise.” Conferences are as much To be able to construct effective fish about networking and passages Arif says more information building relationships as is needed about: they are about sharing • The local fish species including knowledge….and the Fish their migratory habits Passage 2018 confer- • How to design fish passages to ence certainly provided an suit the local situation excellent opportunity for plenty of it. “However the most difficult thing for us is how to educate the people to By way of example, we understand how important fish pas- caught up with Profes- sages are for the survival of the fish sor Jürgen Geist, (right) and for them not to catch fish in the an aquatic scientist who fish passages,” says Arif. “Otherwise is chair professor of they are just waiting at the fish pas- Aquatic Systems Biol- ogy and director of the Limnological says Jürgen. “We’ve done some sages and catch the fish because it testing with fish in these innovative is much easier to do so.” Research Station, Technical Univer- sity of Munich, Germany. hydropower plants - looking at how the plants affected fish in terms of When the first fish passage was mortality and injury patterns. installed on the Komering River, it Jürgen was a keynote speaker at the conference who gave a very engag- was guarded by troops and police to “Linking that biological and ecologi- prevent the locals fishing in it. ing talk on “Possible pitfalls in fish passage research and how to avoid cal assessment with technical ways them.” of measuring the impact of these “But it became impossible to guard plants, that’s the kind of exciting it all the time,” says Arif, one of only “Our core focus is on understanding cutting-edge research that results two people from Indonesia to attend from this collaboration.” the conference. The other person the functioning of aquatic ecosys- works for ACIAR. tems and how different stressors affect the functioning of the ecosys- As a result of this collaboration a tem and the services they provide” joint publication Physical and hydrau- Arif first met Lee at the Fish Passage lic forces experienced by fish pass- conference in 2016 in Laos. “It was says Jürgen in describing the research work his unit undertakes. ing through three different low-head also the first time I saw, with my own hydropower turbines was written for eyes, a fish passage that was actu- the Special Issue of Marine & Fresh- ally working,” says Arif who had gone “Those stressors obviously include structural changes to the river water Research “Fish Passage 2018 on a conference field trip to view the & Hydropower Symposium” pro- fish passage. “I could see the small systems such as dams, weirs, hydropower facilities and we have duced specifically for the conference fish going upstream but no-one was and given to all attendees. trying to catch the fish which really a couple of research projects in this area. surprised me. “It’s already an excellent starting “And this is also where the connec- point, showing we are on the right “The problem for us is capacity. We track with this,” says Jürgen. are hoping that ILWS will be able to tion to CSU and people like Lee extend, with further ACIAR funding Baumgartner, Craig Boys [NSW – DPI Fisheries] and so on comes in.” “Subsequently we applied to an and in partnership with our Govern- Australian/German funding scheme ment, the work on fish passages with a proposal, the core of which that is being done in Laos, Vietnam, The Aquatic Systems Biology Unit is running a number of large experi- is to promote exchange between Cambodia and Myanmar, to include scientists from Australia and Ger- Indonesia.” ments in innovative hydropower technologies…and in 2017 a delega- many with mutual visits, exchange tion from Australia, which included of expertise and work on developing Arif says, in his role as Chief of further joint research projects. IFRRDMD - SEAFDEC that “we are Craig Boys and Brett Pflugrarth, seeing a huge problem in Indonesia visited Germany to carry out joint experiments. “Fortunately this proposal has been with riverine connectivity. Several funded both from the Australian and thousand irrigation schemes exist in German side where it was reviewed some catchments and each obstruct “The Australian delegation brought their technical expertise in using by an independent panel and seen fish migration to some degree. This as a highly promising.” isn’t only a problem in the Mekong technical sensors which we used to but also in Malaysia and the Philip- link with the biological data we had- collected from the different facilities,” pines.” more next page ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 21 “Fish passage and Dr Matthew McCartney damage in Australia also relates to irrigation, with irrigation pumps sucking in fish, whereas we have situations where we pump water for flood protection so while it is for a differ- ent purpose basically the potential impacts on the fish are similar.

Similarly since Australia has different fish species to Germany, but also a few that are the same, comparisons become par- ticularly interesting.”

Jürgen was at the Fish Passage 2018 confer- ence –which he described as an “extremely well- organized and excellent conference”- with five Before the interview gets underway, other colleagues who all Institute Adjunct Dr Matthew McCa- work in the hydropower/ rtney wants to make one thing clear fish passage field from - no, he is not related to Paul McCa- rtney of The Beatles fame. Institute Director Professor Max Finlayson with the Technical University of Professor Jürgen Geist Munich. However, like the man who shares “We don’t get satisfac- his surname, he is from the United The grant will cover the cost of travel tion from publishing paper Kingdom. and accommodation for a three week number 202,” he says, extolling the exchange this year for both an Aus- benefits of attending conferences. Matthew, who grew up in Sussex, tralian and a German scientist. did his degree in Environmental Sci- “We get it from meeting cutting-edge ence at Lancaster University and his “Actually this collaboration already scientists who have great ideas, who Masters in Engineering Hydrology at started in 2016 when Craig and I met have this inspiration, and collabora- Imperial College in London. at a conference and simply made tion… that supports the next genera- things happen, those first joint exper- tion of scientists, our PhD students, After a year’s travelling, he started iments and now we have the official our post docs …and jointly working work at what was the Institute and legal framework for a formal/ on the challenges that are ahead. of Hydrology, part of the Natural official collaboration with CSU,” says Environment Research Council in Jürgen. “This is really what fascinates me the UK where he worked for a few and there wouldn’t be any other years in a water resources section, “Which is really nice. The topic is profes- water resources, which is an impor- sion that tant topic of course, but at its core makes it’s about people, the people that are me as involved. Our idea really is to not just happy as have the collaboration at the level of this one the professors and senior academ- does.” ics but that we also open this up to students and early career post- docs who are interested in mutual exchange.

“The core challenge is the same in both Germany and Australia.

Right: Professor Jürgen Geist with colleagues from the Technical University of Munich

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 22 mainly doing consulting for the water Managing Variability, Risk and Com- States Geological Survey) and Dr resources industry. petition. Lee Baumgartner. His presenta- tion at the workshop was on ‘Global His PhD, at the University of Read- “But my personal interest is more trends in water use - current irriga- ing, was based on a wetland hydrol- around the issues of natural capital tion modernization agendas’. ogy project he did for the institute. and ecosystem services and how they relate to people’s livelihood and “My talk was about the irrigation, the “The field work was in Zimbabwe well-being and poverty alleviation,” water side and the future of water where I was looking at headwa- says Matthew. use in irrigation, mainly in Africa and ter wetlands or ‘dambos’ and their Asia, and thinking about why fisher- function in maintaining downstream As well as his managerial roles, Mat- ies aren’t integrated into irrigation riverflow,” says Matthew. “These wet- thew is currently working on a small systems,” says Matthew. “While lands, because they retain moisture research project looking at malaria irrigation systems have caused into the dry season, are popular for and reservoirs in sub Saharan Africa. problems for fish by blocking migra- agriculture but there was a percep- tion routes etc, there is also potential tion that they also maintain down- “We’ve been looking at what the to manage these systems for fish. stream riverflow.” impact of water storage in reservoirs And often the fish are more valuable has on malaria incidence and wheth- than the crop. There is quite a lot of The river from the small catch- er or not you can operate dams to work being done on rice fish systems ment that Matthew was working in try to mitigate it,” says Matthew. “Our in South East Asia as fish are very ultimately flowed into the Zambezi research has revealed a conserva- important for food/nutrition security. River. The research concluded that tive estimate of 1.3 million cases of Traditionally people will incorporate the bulk of the water stored in the malaria annually associated with fish into their rice systems and there dambo at the start of the dry season large dam reservoirs in sub-Saharan is a lot of capture fish that goes was “lost” through evaporation and, Africa”. unrecorded. in reality, it contributed little to main- taining river flow. He has another project in Laos on “However when it comes to formal the 3S rivers (the Sekong, Sesan irrigation schemes they don’t often After his PhD, Matthew moved to and Srepok Rivers), major tributar- factor in fish. One of the aims of the another section of the institute that ies to the Mekong River which flow workshop is to think about how we was more focussed on wetlands and through three countries, Vietnam, can integrate water and fish manage- did more and more work in the UK Laos, and Cambodia.“This is a study ment.” and Europe. we’ve been doing on what we call the Nexus (of water, energy and Matthew is interested in not just “But I was interested in living over- food) and how you manage water irrigation systems, but in how man- seas so in 2002 I applied for the resources in the system to try and made infrastructure built for water job I still have with the International benefit all three sectors and the envi- resource management (dams, weirs, Water Management Institute [IWMI],” ronment,” says Matthew. off-takes, flood levy banks) impact on says Matthew who was based first in fisheries in particular and how they southern Africa, then Ethiopia, and A major project in Kenya (Tana can be managed or planned better for the past six years, Laos. River) and in Ghana (Volta River) to mitigate some of the impacts and which finished last year looked maybe even provide opportunities for Institute Director Professor Max Fin- at how to integrate environment fish. layson also used to work for IWMI (a and ecosystem services in water non-profit, scientific research organi- resources, plan- zation focusing on the sustainable ning and decision Dr Matthew McCartney and Institute Director Professor Max use of water and land resources in making using the Finlayson developing countries, mostly in Africa concept of “natu- and Asia.) ral infrastructure.”

Matthew first met Max in southern Matthew was Africa and the two worked together invited by the on a wetland study in the Southern Institute to attend African Development Community the “SDGs, fisher- (SADC) region in 2006/07. ies production and irrigation moderni- Matthew, who is a Principal sation” workshop Researcher, Hydrology & Water on December 10 Resources, for IMWI has two roles: at CSU’s Albury- one of which is to lead a small group Wodonga campus called Water Futures, Growth & at Thurgoona. The Natural Capital; and another, to lead event was facili- within a bigger IMWI program, Water, tated by Dr Abigail Land & Ecosystems, a Flagship on Lynch (United ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 23 Fish Passage 2018 - Post-graduates

“The company also had a research Dr Daniel Svozil component where I assisted as a For new ILWS PhD graduate Dr technician and got my first taste of, Daniel Svozil the Fish Passage 2018 and became interested in, research,” conference provided a perfect oppor- says Daniel who then did his Hon- tunity to present exploratory research ours in Environmental Science at on individual-based modelling, as CSU with Professor Robyn Watts his a tool to explore the outcomes and supervisor. assumptions of successful fish pas- sage. His Honours was on the temperature dependant survival and growth of dif- “Testing the designs and implemen- ferent Murray Cod populations. tation of fish passage is a very costly and logistically complicated pro- He then worked as a field technician cess – it is something that can take in 2013 and 2014 for projects, led by decades of monitoring to evaluate,” Professor Robyn Watts, monitoring says Daniel. the ecological responses of Com- monwealth Environmental Water “Doing an individual-based model delivered to the Edward-Wakool river allows us to create a scenario that system. we want to look at over time or over at Northern Melbourne Institute of space … to look at what happens in “In amongst that I started looking TAFE (now Melbourne Polytechnic) a particular fish passage scenario at the possibility of doing a PhD,” in aquaculture and environmental after making certain decisions or says Daniel, who began his PhD in management from 2006 to 2009. In assumptions.” late 2014 with supervisors Profes- his last two years of study, he also sor Robyn Watts, Dr Keller Kopf and worked for Mainstream Aquaculture, While not the topic of his PhD later, Dr Lee Baumgartner. a small company farming barramun- research it is something that he di, who he continued to work for, for has been working on for the past His topic was “Trait divergence another year. together with Dr Luiz Silva, who between river and reservoir popula- brings the fish passage theory and tions of Australian smelt.” He then got a job in South Aus- practice expertise, and former ILWS tralia with Cleanseas Tuna where PhD student Dr Luisa Perez-Mujica, An Australian smelt is a small-bodied he worked as a hatchery technician who brings the computer modelling freshwater fish abundant in water- rearing marine fin fish (tuna and yel- expertise. ways across South East Australia lowtail kingfish) at Port Augusta for “which makes them an ideal study two years. Daniel did his undergraduate studies species because we could find them in different systems and they can be Catching up with colleagues at the conference. L to R. Sarah Douglas, Na- compared across different habitat than Ning, Daniel Svozil and Joe Pera types.”

The field sites chosen for the study were in North-East Victoria and in the freshwater part of coastal sys- tems (Hawkesbury and Nepean catchment) around Wollongong, NSW.

“Common in the evolutionary lit- erature is that body shape is an important factor in the fitness of fish populations and associated with the habitat type,” says Daniel. “What I found was that body shape is associ- ated with certain habitat types. A common thing is that fish in reser- voirs are found to be, mostly, deep- bodied and robust and river fish tend to be narrow and torpedo-shaped.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 24 “However, what I found was that, in An Vi Vu Australian smelt, that trend is the opposite. River fish are actually Just like some of the migratory deep-bodied and robust whereas the fish species he studies, ILWS PhD reservoir fish are stream-lined and student An Vi Vu had the wonder- torpedo shaped. ful opportunity last year to travel the length of the Mekong River from “What we found was that these body close to the Chinese border in Laos shapes reflect their swimming ability all the way down to the sea. so the ones that are deep-bodied and robust that are living in the river It was an amazing adventure and systems are the better swimmers, even though An, who is from Viet- and the ones in the reservoirs that nam and has worked as a fish are narrow and torpedo-shaped are researcher for most of his working actually the slower or poorer swim- life, there were many parts of the mers which was very interesting and countries the Mekong flows through - not what was expected.” Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - that he had never seen before. The swimming performance experi- ments on the fish were done in the “It was a very enjoyable trip,” says lab. Photographs of the fish were An, adding that, fortunately, he taken and used to take measure- wasn’t in the area when the Saddle Above: An buying krempfi catfish ments. Dam in Laos, collapsed on July 23, from which he was able to get otolith 2018, killing many people and leav- samples “The shape measurement was ing others homeless. challenging,” says Daniel. “A lot of An, who has worked for Vietnam’s “That was very bad news,” says advanced geometry and complicated Research Institute for Aquaculture An who heard about the tragedy statistics.” No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, two days after he had left Laos and ever since he graduated with a crossed over the border to Cambo- Last year Daniel also did field work Bachelor of Aquaculture from Can dia. for two months, together with Dr Tho University in Vietnam in 1999. Xiaoying Liu (Sha Sha) and Luke An, an Australia Award PhD scholar- McPhan for the Native and inva- “So, in 2016, I decided to apply for ship recipient, began his PhD, which sive fish dispersal, spawning and the Australia Award anyway. I was continues his research on fish migra- trophic dynamics during a man- very surprised that I got it.” aged river-floodplain connection tion in the Mekong Delta, in February 2017. project led by Keller. An is based at CSU’s Albury-Wodon- ga campus at Thurgoona. “I couldn’t decide whether to contin- The project is monitoring the effects more next page of an environmental water delivery ue working or return to study,” says in September last year to Tala and Yanga Lakes on the lower Murrum- Below: An holding a krempfi catfish. This species lives in the ocean but migrates bidgee River. to the Mekong river for spawning. It is one of the target species for his research.

Daniel and his wife Luisa (whom he met through CSU) are based in Newcastle where Luisa works with the Department of Industry for the Natural Resource Access Regula- tor. Daniel has a new job (which started late last year) with the Office of Environment & Heritage’s Science Division as an environmental techni- cian, based in Sydney.

“Basically its biological monitoring to inform an approach to improving water quality that will ultimately sup- port improvement and maintenance of coastal and marine assets,” says Daniel.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 25 However he is no stranger to Aus- able to get tralia having spent two years here samples for,” about 10 years ago in Launceston, says An who Tasmania. There he did his Masters travelled by in fishery ecology at the Australian car with a Maritime College (now part of the local driver. University of Tasmania.) The journey, following “The objective of my research is to the Mekong identify which fish species move downstream between fresh and marine waters in to the Cambo- the Mekong River,” says An who is dian border, supervised by Dr Lee Baumgartner, took about 10 Professor Ian Cowx, University of days. Hull, ILWS Adjunct Dr Martin Mallen- Cooper, Dr Wayne Robinson, and Dr There he Julia Howitt. was met by staff from the Since commencing his PhD, he has Inland Fisher- returned to Vietnam twice - once ies Research to do a scoping study, and then in and Develop- July last year “for the biggest trip ment Institute, ever”. The trip was funded by a Cambodia. $30,080 National Geographic Soci- ety Research Grant, for the project “I have worked In search of the elusive Mekong with them in salmon. the past so they know me An flew first to Ho Chi Minh City and I know in Vietnam before taking a bus to them so it Laos. “I couldn’t fly because I had was easy to nitric acid which I needed for the communicate water samples I would be taking,” he and get their explains. The bus trip took more than help,” says An 24 hours. who spent a week following Once in Laos he was met by local the Mekong to staff National University of Laos who the Vietnam- took him a further 200km upstream ese border, to a small town, Luang Prabang, in again collect- Laos, close to the Chinese Border. ing water and It was from there An’s journey down obtaining fish the Mekong began, with An taking samples from water samples and collecting fish fish bought at otoliths (ear bones) along the way. the markets or from local An sourced the fish, from which he fishers along collected otoliths, in a number of the way. ways - buying them at local markets, from local fishers or catching them Once he got himself. He focussed on 10 species, to Vietnam he Above: Local market in Cambodia where fish are sold whole or cleaned ready to cook. “some of which are very rare to cap- had one day ture as they appear seasonally.” at his home in Middle: The Khone Phapheng waterfalls on the Mekong River, Ho Chi Minh southern Laos. Many fish species migrate upstream over the Where this was the case, the local City before falls to spawn. fisheries staff in Laos had helped out he teamed up by buying these species, either from with another Bottom: Unloading fish from a fishing vessel in the Mekong the markets or local fishers, when colleague from delta of Vietnam. The fish are caught at sea and are sold in the they were in season and had put his institute to mainland markets. them in freezers….ready for when An do the final leg came past. of his journey to the Mekong “Otherwise there would have been Delta and the some species I wouldn’t have been sea. ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 26 Again the fish were sourced from attended a workshop in June 2018 am providing information for consid- local markets and fishers but in Viet- with Dr John Conallin at a labora- eration.” nam An also caught some of the fish tory in Queenscliff where they learnt himself. how to section otoliths). He is also An’s family, his wife and two children photographing every sample before - Quoc Anh Vu, 9, and Mai Anh Vu, All in all the trip took An a month and it is sectioned. 6, are in Australia with An while he he estimates he travelled 4000km does his PhD here. and collected over 80 water samples “The next big step is the analysis of and over 500 fish samples, all of the otolith- otolith microchemistry,” “My wife was worried before we got which came back with him to Aus- says An. “For that I will looking at the here as to how the family would tralia for further analysis. concentrations of some elements, settle in but the children love it, espe- particularly strontium which is very cially going to school,” says An. “There were many places I have high in marine water, and barium never visited before,” says An. “In which is high in fresh water. Based The children attend Lavington Public the past I’ve just flown in or out of on the pattern of the elements I School, close to the CSU Albury- an area but that is quite different to will be able to determine where the Wodonga campus at Thurgoona. travelling by car or boat.” fish have migrated. It’s like a flight recorder of where the fish have An will return to his job at the An says the trip didn’t involve hard been.” Research Institute for Aquaculture work so much as patience.“While, No.2 once he finishes his PhD. with some of the species it was An is expecting to analyse the otolith easy to collect the otoliths, with the sections in a laboratory in Adelaide. “One of the conditions of my schol- smaller species it was more difficult arship is that I return to my country as the otoliths are tiny,” says An. “But “My study will show which fish spe- for two years to share what I have luckily in Cambodia I had a friend cies need to migrate upstream,” says learnt,” he says. help out who had a permit to remove An. “For these species dams in the otoliths.” Mekong River will be big barriers. I

An’s water samples have already been analysed for seven elements including the key elements, strontium and barium, to determine how saline or fresh the water samples are.

The otoliths are being weighed, measured, and then embedded in resin so that they can be more easily sectioned or sliced. (An had

Right: An gave a presentation on “Using otoliths to quantify diadromy in the Lower Mekong Basin,” at the conference where he had the opportunity to catch up with all of his supervisors in person.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 27 Photos by Nikki Scott, Simone Engdahl, Margrit Beemster. ILWS ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 28 seabirds where we try to understand Engagement & Linkages: International the extent, cause and consequence of plastic pollution for these birds. It (cont.) includes things like birds ingesting contamination, introduced predators, plastic, getting entangled in plastic, looking at plastic on beaches and Visitors and population dynamics by blend- ing field work on remote islands with ultimately trying to figure out what it Dr Alex Bond work back in the lab doing chemical is doing to them.” analysis.” So far they have found plastic con- He then went to work for tamination impacts on the birds by: Canada’s Federal Department • Reducing growth “when they of the Environment as a post ingest it there is no room for doc for three years “before I food” jumped the pond over to the • Altering the blood chemistry UK” in 2014 to work for the • Ultimately, reducing survival Royal Society for the Protec- • And, in a lot of cases, especially tion of Birds for nearly four entanglement, causing death years before taking on his current position. “There is something like 15-50 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean,” says “For me it’s the best job in the Alex. Every piece of plastic that has world because the collection been produced by humans still exists we have is so extensive,” says somewhere. In one hour, about A visitor in December last year was Alex. “We have one million speci- 600,000 new pieces of plastic will, Conservation Biologist Dr Alex Bond, mens covering 95% of species of enter the ocean. (pictured above with Dr Maggie bird. It is almost like we are spoilt for Watson) the Senior Curator in choice.” “In terms of what we can do about it, Charge of Birds at the Natural His- it comes from two directions. From tory Museum in London. While here Alex says his job is a mix of man- the bottom up people can make Alex gave a presentation on Decem- agement (there are five staff), behavioural changes like bringing ber 5 as part of the School of Envi- research, student supervision, work a reusable coffee cup to the café, a ronmental Science’s seminar series in the collections (curating, organis- bamboo toothbrush… those individ- at the Albury-Wodonga campus at ing, moving…) and hosting scientific ual level changes. They don’t seem Thurgoona on “Trash Talk: The Story visitors. “We get 250 scientific visi- like a lot but when you scale that up, of the Shearwater and the Bottle tors a year to our collection, just for everyone does a little bit, it can make Cap”. birds,” says Alex. a huge difference. We can also, as consumers, put pressure onto Alex who grew up in Eastern As to why he was in Australia, Alex companies to reduce the amount of Canada, did his undergraduate says that for the past 10 years he plastic in their products. studies and Masters in New Brun- has been working with a colleague, swick, and PhD in Newfoundland Dr Jennifer Lavers, from the Univer- “From the other end, there is the “mostly focused on marine birds and sity of Tasmania where he has an top down so things like government conservation, looking at things like honorary position with the Institute legislation for things like container for Marine and deposit legislation and other initia- Antarctic Stud- tives. But because plastic, once it A Brown Booby seabird surrounded by plastic waste. Pic ies. gets in the ocean, can travel every- A.Bond “The lab we where, there has got to be an inter- have down national agreement. When we look there is called at where we are in terms of interna- the ‘Adrift Lab’ tional environmental agreements for where we super- climate change and compare that vise our students to plastics, we are 30 to 40 years on any number behind, and we know how much of things but a work we still need to do for climate.” lot of the work is around plastics,” Alex says “I use the evidence we see says Alex. in the birds to try and drive positive change in society. Essentially the “We go to these birds are the canaries in the coal remote islands mine. All we have to do is listen to where we work them.” primarily with

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 29 Stakeholder Engagement Reflections on building capacity in Myanmar’s tourism education sector by Associate Professor Rosemary Black

I recently spent 6 months as Pro Bono Professor of Tourism based at the National Management Degree College in Yangon, Myanmar. I was working for the Luxembourg gov- ernment that is delivering a major program to strengthen tourism and hospitality related human resources capacity and facilitate the respon- sible development of Myanmar’s tourism industry, thus contribut- A/Prof Rosemary Black with her students in Myanmar ing to economic development and improved livelihoods throughout However, the should show this by example. Myanmar. enthusiasm and interest of the students far outweighed these chal- On the trip we had no plastic water My leadership role involved enhanc- lenges. They were very keen to learn bottles, no waste at lunch, no hand ing and supporting the further and really appreciated my input and wipes and importantly we visited development of the existing four year contributions. local communities and an elephant tourism degree program through a camp that all demonstrated aspects number of strategies. In addition to my teaching I also of sustainable tourism. organised the College’s first Career’s My primary focus was on building Cabaret where I invited key tourism In addition I organised an exhibition capacity among the staff – many of and hospitality industry players to of the students’ sustainable tour- whom are new to teaching tourism, share their knowledge and experi- ism posters (their final assignment) as well as subject and assessment ence of the industry with the stu- that were judged and students were development and developing links dents. This event allowed students awarded prizes. These posters with the tourism and hospitality to learn firsthand what it’s like to were also displayed in a public park industry. Using a team teaching work in the tourism and hospitality on Clean up Myanmar Day giving model I was actively involved in sector. greater exposure to the tourism teaching two subjects – Sustainable degree and the College. Tourism and English for Hospitality. As a result the College has now developed strong ties with the local I also delivered two staff seminars At times teaching was challeng- tourism industry that will persist for one on ‘What Research and How to ing with power blackouts, technical future years. do it?’ and the other on ‘Peer Review breakdowns, sometimes no air con- of Teaching’. Both were enthusiasti- ditioning (it was the monsoon time!) For the Sustainable Tourism sub- cally received. After the conclusion and large class sizes. ject I organised a student field trip of my contract I travelled to various that role parts of the country and experienced modelled some of the unique tourism attrac- sustain- tions that the country has to offer able tour- including Inle Lake, Bagan and the ism. I was Myeik Archipelago. very keen to demon- Overall the experience working at strate to the the College was very rewarding both students that personally and professionally and I is it possible plan to keep in contact with the staff to act in a and students. sustainable way and that the tourism industry

Left. A/Prof Rosemary Black with her colleagues in Myanmar

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 30 years old. His ties to CSU go back Profile to 1997 when he began his Bachelor of Applied Science –Parks, Rec- Dr Damian Michael reation & Heritage. He went on to Dr Damian Michael (pictured right) do his Honours in 2001 under the acknowledges that he has an supervision of Associate Professor almost uncanny instinct for finding Ian Lunt and Dr Wayne Robinson snakes….so it’s not surprising that on “Vertebrate fauna in a semi-arid on his first field trip out as a member grassland at Terrick Terrick National of the LTIM (Long Term Intervention Park Victoria: distributions, habitat Monitoring) Project for the Murrum- preference and use of experimental bidgee area, he made an important (log) refuges.” discovery. Damian then got a job with Professor “We discovered a new species of David Lindenmayer’s research team snake – not to science – but for that – the Fenner School’s Conserva- region,” says Damian. “Given the tion & Landscape Ecology group – at prior work done, the monitoring team ANU. has seen the odd snake around, but rumbidgee River with four museum I’m seeing about five an hour around Damian was a member of that records that date back to about 20 to the wetlands, just by knowing where research team for 18 years, initially 40 years ago. to look and what to look for. as a research officer, then senior research officer, and, in his final “Its core distribution is the Macquarie “It turns out this species, the grey years, a senior manager. Some of Marshes in northern NSW into snake (Hemiapsis damelii) could be the research projects he worked on southern Queensland,” he says. quite common out in the wetlands. It during that time were: is a wetland dependant frog-eating • a project monitoring Leadbeater “It’s funny I went to this wetland and species. It needs the frogs and it possums and other arboreal thought ‘this is an amazing wetland needs the water so it is likely that it marsupials, looking at the effects and I reckon there will be some- has been recovering since the deliv- of fire and logging in the Moun- thing cool here, something like a ery of environmental water or it has tain Ash forests in Victoria’s grey snake… within 10 minutes of been overlooked because people central highlands doing the spotlight I saw a snake, just think it is a brown snake, or a • a long-term project monitor- photographed it and identified it combination of the two.” ing birds and general terrestrial as a grey snake. And then Dena wildlife, looking at their response Paris and Gaye Bourke came back Damian says he wants to change the to revegetation. (ARC Linkage from their survey and showed me snake’s common name to “yellow- project) a photograph of a snake they had bellied swamp snake, which is a just seen…and it was another grey much nicer name and describes it “Basically after a decade of landcare snake. so much better. It has a wonderful we started looking at whether tree lemon-colored belly.” plantings were having a benefit for “On our second visit, we ended up biodiversity,” says Damian. What the finding another 18 grey snakes from He says based on the records from researchers found was that when the three different wetlands.” the Atlas of Living Australia it is only trees were within five years of age, found on the north side of the Mur- a suite of small declining woodland Damian may be a new Institute birds were starting to use them as staff member – he took on habitat, something they weren’t Grey snake Hemiapsis damelii. Pic D. Michael the position as a Senior doing with remnant vegetation in Research heavily cleared landscapes. Fellow last November but “We started seeing a plateau in a he is a familiar number of species and then the mix face around or composition of birds was changing CSU’s Albury- as the trees matured,” says Damian. Wodonga “We also looked at whether possums campus. and reptiles and other taxa were Born in Eng- using the tree plantings, which they land, Damian were, but not to the great extent that and his family birds were. So we started to come up moved to Gee- with ideas on how to improve plant- long, Victoria ings for other taxa.” in the early 1980s when more next page he was seven ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 31 As part of his job Damian did his Program, was PhD from 2006 to 2009 with ANU on funded by the “Ecology and conservation of reptiles Murray Local Land in southern NSW and the implica- Services. The 12 tions for inselberg management in year project, which agricultural landscapes.” aimed to moni- tor the biodiver- “Basically I was looking at the con- sity and vegetative servation of reptiles in agricultural response of the landscapes with a focus on how financial incentives land mangers could more effectively the LLS was giving manage rocky outcrops for conser- to landholders to vation outcomes,” says Damian. The improve remnant PhD led to the publication of his book vegetation, began Michael, D.R. & Lindenmayer, D.B. in 2008 with 110 One of Damian’s reptile monitoring stations (2018) Rocky Outcrops in Australia: monitoring sites. Ecology, Conservation and Manage- ment, CSIRO Publishing, Colling- For that project involved in science communication wood, Melbourne, which received a Damian used a monitoring technique in his past job, is bringing those skills 2018 Whitley Award Commendation he also used for his Honours project also to his new role. for Landscape Zoology, awarded – the construction of artificial refuges by the Royal Zoological Society of for snakes and lizards. “We eventu- “I am administering the Murrum- NSW. ally deployed 8000 railway sleep- bidgee LTIM Twitter account and ers and 8000 pieces of tin and tiles taking the lead on developing a “There is very little accessible infor- across the entire box gum grassy communication plan and strategy mation for land managers to manage woodland ecosystem,” says Damian. for the next phase of the monitoring rocky outcrops,” says Damian. “Prior and research, and I’m really looking to my PhD I suppose rocks were Damian has been a CSU Adjunct forward to working with stakehold- just seen as being barren with no Research Fellow since 2012 and has ers, particularly in the Nimmie-Caira, ecological value; probably places supervised two CSU Honours stu- traditional owners, the broader com- where you would just put your stock dents, one of whom is Gaye Bourke, munity and industry,” says Damian. for shelter. It turns out that they are another new member of the LTIM “It’s all about the big picture, how to not only super-beneficial for cultural Murrumbidgee team, which is led by better integrate water use and biodi- reasons, there are rare plants hang- Associate Professor Skye Wassens. versity conservation in these produc- ing on and a wealth of reptiles. There tion landscapes.” can be more reptiles on farms on a For Damian, the country he is work- cleared, rocky outcrop than there are ing in, the wetlands of the mid-Mur- *Another part to Damian’s story is in adjacent remnant vegetation.” rumbidgee and LowBidgee, is a long that he was a national gymnast and way from the drier, terrestrial envi- coach for 20 years. “It taught me The book covers the management of ronments he is used to working in. a lot about how your body moves rocky outcrops, both in agricultural in space and I relate that to how landscapes and in National Parks “While I am involved in all of the animals interact with their environ- and State Forests. monitoring, one of my roles is to ments,” says Damian. accurately identify the frog and “It has a national focus and covers tadpole populations, and evaluate a broad range of geology as well,” their response to environmental says Damian who has written eight water flows,” says Damian. “The books, two of which he was lead environment is quite different to what author. The first of these Michael, I’ve been working in for the last 18 D.R & Lindenmayer, D.B. (2010) years. It is quite refreshing to learn Reptiles of the NSW Murray catch- new skills and techniques but also to ment: A Guide to their Identification, bring the way I see the Ecology and Conservation. CSIRO landscape, from a ter- Publishing, Collingwood, Melbourne restrial ecologist’s point of view, to a freshwater Even though Damian worked for system.” ANU for 18 years, he has always been based in Albury. One of the As well as his skills as projects he managed, the West- an ecologist, Damian, ern Murray Biodiversity Monitoring as he was very

Damian was the lead author of the book Rocky Outcrops in Australia: Ecology, Conservation & Management, which won a Whitley Award Commendation last year.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 32 was Max’s necklace of related coat aftermath, the emergency disaster Adjunct News pins – more than a dozen of those! response of the state, international bodies’ social work response, and Swapan says, “I have only one the long-term challenges for a land- Adjuncts Aggregate at a Ramsar and that much catch-up that I have locked country Nepal. Rally to do!” All in all, it was a fabulous representation of the Institute on this “In the context of trauma, we ques- global stage. Conference resolutions tion the current conceptions of what may be found in https://www.ramsar. constitutes resilient outcomes; and if org/about/cop13-resolutions we are reasonable in expecting such outcomes even at high risk?” says Social Work conference in Nepal Venkat. “In an attempt to answer Dr Venkat Pulla, ILWS Adjunct Senior these questions our narratives com- Research Fellow and founder and pare two communities – the ‘Newars’ president of the Brisbane Institute of and the adjacent communities in Strengths Based Practice, directed Kathmandu to see how these com- an international conference, Positive munities fared in their competence Thoughts, Positive Impact and Posi- under extreme stress. While oppor- tive Social Work; The wherewithal tunities to recover from trauma using of hope?, held in collaboration with adversity or growth are available to the Tribhuvan University Kathmandu all, it is Newars that demonstrated a in Kathmandu, Nepal, December significant advantage of culture and 10-12, 2018. resilience to earthquake trauma.”

Above. Dr Swapan Paul and Professor The conference was for social work, The papers described the cultural Max Finlayson at the Ramsar CoP13 human services and interdisciplinary competencies and a unique Newari Conference academics and practitioners. Dr community organization - ‘Guthi’ - Pulla, in his opening address raised that provides strong emotional and Four ILWS Adjuncts rallied at the the need for returning the positive moral support to its members. Ramsar CoP13 Conference of the features of human nature (happi- Ramsar contracting parties, held ness, virtues, personal strengths, “In the aftermath of the earthquake during 21-29 October 2018 in Dubai. and altruism) to their rightful place the community commenced group Dr Ritesh Kumar, Dr Rob McInnes, in social work. He raised this in the cooking, pooling resources remain- Dr Nick Davidson and Dr Swapan context of “conversations of the heart ing within the community, initiated Paul joined Prof Max Finlayson in being forsaken in the current times cleaning debris around their habitat this conference. in preference to conversations of and began collective living in tents,” the head and hand as conversations says Venkat. They were among the 2,200+ attend- about best value for money seem to ees from 172 contracting parties embrace too quickly.” Over eighty “Many of the houses were recon- representing every single nation on peer referred papers were presented structed even before government this globe. The theme of the confer- at the conference of which 16 have initiatives. The people of Khokana ence was ‘wetlands for a sustainable been accepted by two ranked Jour- bounced back to their normal life urban future’ and as such, each of nals on the Scimago data base. more quickly than people from adja- the Adjuncts made valuable contribu- cent areas. tions through presentations, session Nepal Earthquake of 2015 and after chairing and running workshops. “Nepal’s earthquake in 2015 has “In this phenomenological study, the shattered the Himalayan transition narratives reveal a strong adherence Particularly, Prof Finlayson’s key- country and its fragile geography,” to traditional lifestyle, obedience to note talk at the initial plenary on says ILWS Adjunct Dr Venkat Pulla the moral sense of responsibility, loy- the Global Wetlands Outlook was who began working with social work- alty to their independence, unques- an eye-opener. Among others, Dr ers and NGOs following the earth- tionable faith in God and responsive Paul gave an oral presentation on quake and later began a community emotional and moral support from the case study example that he has narrative project with Tribhuvan membership as being vital to their contributed in the book, Good Prac- University Rai. resilience. tices Handbook for Integrating Urban Development and Wetland Conser- This has led to two research papers “Our conclusions corroborate the vation’. This book was launched at on place of culture and resilience connection between spirituality and the Conference. to earthquake trauma, with Tribhu- resilience previously drawn by stud- van University’s Sandesh Dhakal in ies that pain, suffering and failure are Dr Kumar chaired a session on Wet- Psychology and Sukrita Rai in Social but normal components of life that lands International and on the other Work. assist people’s capacity to respond hand Prof Davidson and Dr McInnes to trauma.” represented the Myanmar team on The papers trace the earthquake its wetland inventories. The highlight ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 33 Bonegilla connection The Securing Safe Domestic Water port Round 2 which was used to As part of the Bonegilla Migrant project commenced in 2016 as a embed the SSDW within the emerg- Camp reunion on November 2-3, collaborative project with a number ing sustainable regional develop- 2018, Institute Adjunct and historian of partners including the SEGRA ment agenda of the Balranald Shire Associate Professor Bruce Pennay Foundation, Murray Darling Associa- Council. told the story of a romance involving tion, the Queensland Department of a language instructor at the camp Health, Etheridge Shire Council, the “SSDW has taken a long time to get who was a single mum with a teen- Queensland Murray Darling Com- traction with and within regional com- age boy who met a Polish man, fell mittee and Conservation Volunteers munities,” says Peter. ”However, the in love and married him. (Australia). The initial one year pro- recent catastrophes in the Central ject, which was initially Queensland- and Lower Darling has heightened “What’s interesting to me was that he focussed, secured $50,000 internal awareness. People are most con- was a photographer and his photo- funding from CSU/ILWS. cerned that their domestic supplies graphs of her at Bonegilla at various have been diminished to crisis point. picnics are really a love story unfold- A further $25,000 in internal fund- ing as he gets to know her,” he says. ing in 2017 enabled the project to “There has been a lot of phone “We have a picture of her on one of expand and include the Central and calls and interesting discussions on our picture walls down on the road Lower Darling Region where Peter mobilising community support and and it’s a man and a woman looking undertook a community engage- action for the safe water initiative that at each other through a camera and ment program with the support of the we have been discussing with Local to me it’s a nice story.” Broken Hill City Council, the Pasto- Governments and community based ralists Association of West Darling organisations over the past three Bruce, who compiled Picturing and and the Darling River Action Group. years.” Re-picturing Bonegilla, an 80-page volume filled with images of the As well, in 2017, the project secured In terms of his second major points migrant reception centre, believes an additional $4500 from the Murray of focus Peter has: Bonegilla shows how we as an Darling Basin Authority to support • prepared a scoping brief on the Australian community, and as a local community consultation activities in “Development of a High Quality community, took in strangers from the Central and Lower Darling. Training Hub in the Maranoa” for overseas. the Maranoa Regional Council, In the Report on the project pub- (South-West Queensland), Sept “That’s something we are still doing lished in April 2018, Peter states: 17. today, we are taking in strangers • participated in and assisted with from overseas and welcoming them Understanding critical human in the Balranald Shire Council’s to Australia,” he says. water needs from the perspectives Community Growth Strategy of communities and people who Forum, held October 8-9. Brief Progressing Challenges are dependent on the surface and Institute Adjunct Professor Peter ground supplies in the MDB is a “There was considerable institutional Waterman and his involvement with fundamental to the success of imple- interest in what was proposed at the the Institute goes back to 2013 when mentation of the Basin Plan. Espe- Maranoa Regional Council’s briefing he first began progressing “Challeng- cially, from the ‘bottom-up’. session and moves to innovate edu- es” arising out of SEGRA (Sustain- cation activities under the umbrella of able Economic growth for Regional Engagement activities undertaken in ‘a hub’ are still being overviewed by Australia) conferences in line with 2017-18 have confirmed that the lack Council,” says Peter. the CSU-SEGRA strategic partner- of adequate and safe domestic water ship that was emerging at the time. on rural and remote properties is of He is also expecting that his engage- serious concern in the C&LD. ment with the Balranald Shire Since then his two major points of Council will continue this year with focus have been: A range of issues have been raised an economic development and • The Securing Safe Domestic at public forums and are well docu- integrated wetlands planning project Water (SSDW) project which is mented in the media. Governments activity possible. part of the SEGRA Challenge: are being urged to address these Securing Adequate Safe Domes- concerns as matter of urgency. “As well the ILWS-SEGRA collabora- tic Water for Rural and Regional tion is on-going with SEGRA 2019 Australia, and Collectively, these issues point to to be held in Cobram on the Murray • Regional ‘Knowledge Hubs’ or poor quality domestic water being River,’ he says. ‘ConneXions’, actions which a potential constraint to sustainable have come from the 2014 social and economic development. SEGRA Challenge: Sustain- Specifically, for small settlements in ing Remote Regional Towns the C&LD region and for the MDB in and Communities and the 2017 general. Challenge: Regional Knowledge Hubs & Linking Education, Train- In 2018, the project received a ing and Workplaces further $3500 from ILWS Team Sup- ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 34 Post-graduates

PhD graduations 2018 Congratulations to all those who graduated last year. They were:

Adrian Clements The effect of water column nutrient enrichment and water regime on vegetation in shallow, ephemeral, freshwater lakes Principal Supervisor Professor Max Finlayson

Clare Lawrence Life-history and behavioural responses to nest predation in Aus- tralian and New Zealand birds: can naïve birds adapt to exotic preda- tors? At the Albury graduations... Principal Supervisor Dr Melanie Massaro Above left: Dr Lee Baumgartner and Honours student Simone Mabon Moragh Mackay who worked on the threatened fish Transforming governance together: species project A co-inquiry into practices for tran- sitioning from top-down to adaptive Above right: Dr Daniel Svozil and his co-governance wife Dr Luisa Perez-Mujica Principal Supervisor Associate Pro- Left: Dr Adrian Clements with his fessor Catherine Allan Principal Supervisor Professor Max Finlayson Arif Rohman Voices from a Leper Colony: A Below: (L to R) Dr Keller Kopf, Critical Ethnography of the Impacts Professor Robyn Watts, Dr Daniel of Community Empowerment and Svozil, Dr Adrian Clements and Dr Social Inclusion Program at the Sita- Lee Baumgartner nala Leprosy Village, Indonesia Principal Supervisor Professor Manohar Pawar

Kylie Singh Ecology of the Macquarie Turtle (Emydura macquarii macquarii) in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin: Are freshwater fish an effective ‘umbrella taxa’ for turtle conservation? Principal Supervisor Professor Robyn Watts

Daniel Svozil Trait Divergence in river and reser- voir populations of Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni) Principal Supervisor Professor Robyn Watts, Dr Keller Kopf, Dr Lee Baumgartner

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 35 tion and community involvement in and proposed activities, and for their Awards & Appoint- environmental education. input into draft plans of management, ments helping to achieve the objectives of Under the National Parks and the National Parks and Wildlife Act Bring clean water to the world Wildlife Act 1974, the Council is 1974. A CSU media release about Dr responsible for providing advice to Miao Li’s passion to contribute to the Minister about the operation and Rosemary has previously been a save the lives of 1.5 million children management of parks and reserves. member of the Southern Ranges and and improve the quality of lives of Specifically the Advisory Council Mid-North Coast Regional Advisory 663 million people world-wide has has a legislated role under the Act Committees. earned her third place at a recent to provide advice on matters such national research ‘pitching’ competi- as draft conservation agreements, “I am passionate about sharing my tion. Story was picked up by Online plans of management for reserves, experience and knowledge to further News service, miragenews.com, leases or licences and head leases the work of the NPWS at both State November 30. https://www.mirage- over Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes and regional levels,” says Rosemary. news.com/bring-clean-water-to-the- or Guthega ski resorts. “Having been a Ranger with NPWS world-csu-engineering-pitch/ and worked in the field of environ- The Council consists of 19 mem- mental education and interpretation Ministerial appointment for Associate bers appointed by the Minister and for the past 20 years I have consider- Professor Rosemary Black includes members with expertise in a able experience to share to improve wide range of fields such as Aborigi- visitor and community knowledge nal cultural heritage conservation, and understanding of our parks.” nature conservation, cultural herit- age research, ecotourism, environ- ANZSOC appointment mental education, rural and regional development and bush fire manage- Dr Emma Colvin was elected the ment. NSW Committee Member for the Australian and New Zealand Soci- The Advisory Council provides ety of Criminology (ANZSOC) at advice to the Minister about strate- the Society’s 2018 conference held gies, policies and plans directed at the University of Melbourne in towards attaining or achieving the December last year. Her appoint- objects of the Act. Its functions can ment is for two years. also extend to advising the Minister about the promotion of ‘off park’ Academic promotions Associate Professor Rosemary conservation and the protection of Congratulations to our members on Black (above) has recently been wildlife. their academic promotions last year. appointed by the NSW Minister for They were: Environment to the NSW National Rosemary has also been appointed • Professor Rylee Dionigi, Profes- Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council. by the NSW Minister for Environ- sor Oliver Burmeister The appointment is for a four year ment to the North Coast Regional • Associate Professor Andrew term. Rosemary has been appointed Advisory Committee. Regional Hall, Associate Professor Xiaodi as a person with expertise and advisory committees provide an Huang and Associate Professor experience in environmental educa- important regional consultative forum Kath McFarlane for community input • To Senior Lecturers: Dr Richard into National Parks Culas, Dr Ana Horta, Dr John Below: A/Prof Black doing a site inspection with North and Wildlife Service Rafferty and Dr Michael Mehmet Coast NPWS Regional Advisory Committee planning, policies and decision-mak- Outreach Competition ing. Dr Julia Howitt was the winner of the #Chem4Life Outreach Competition Members contribute (which ran November 12-18, 2018) their expert knowl- sponsored by open access publisher edge and experi- Hindawi for her tweets on carbon ence to inform park and nutrient dynamics in rivers/flood- management and plains. achieve conser- vation outcomes Appointment to fish deaths panel across New South Dr Lee Baumgartner (above right) Wales. has been appointed to an independ- Members are highly ent scientific panel which will advise valued for their the Federal Minister for Agriculture, advice on policies the Hon David Littleproud on the fish and plans, activities deaths that occurred in the Darling ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 36 Members’ News Early & Mid-Career Research Forum Farewells In early November, over 70 early & This year we farewelled some of our mid-career researchers (EMCRs), members who have taken on new from the Faculty of Science, trav- positions outside of the university. elled to the Wagga Wagga campus • Ecologist Dr Geoff Heard for two days of activities. has left to take up a position ILWS participants included Dr as Senior Scientist in Wildlife Maggie Watson, Dr James Turner, Management at the Arthur Rylah Dr Jodi Price, Dr Ana Horta, Dr Alex- Institute in Melbourne, starting andra Knight, Dr Prue Gonzalez and on February 18. The role will Dr John Rafferty. focus on management of prob- lem native wildlife and the man- Dinner speaker was Associate agement of invasive species. Professor Dale Nimmo who gave Geoff will continue his associa- a well-received talk on the twists tion with the Institute as an ILWS and turns he experienced as an Adjunct. early career researcher. Associate • Ecologist Dr James Van Dyke Professor Rachel Whitsed attended River over summer. has taken up a new position as the dinner, where she, as with all a Senior Lecturer in Biomedi- Head of Schools that attended, were The Review Panel will consult cal Sciences with La University asked to give an impromptu two broadly with scientists and Basin at Wodonga where he will be minute outline about how they had community members to prepare an teaching in a new pre-medical reached where they are now. Ses- Interim Report into fish deaths and a curriculum based at Wodonga, sions covered grants and funding, Final Report on the crisis. and continuing his existing professional development opportuni- research in ecology and conser- ties, intellectual property and con- vation via the Centre for Fresh- tracts, impact and engagement and Professor Vertessy, a water scientist water Ecosystems. publicising research. from the University of Melbourne We wish them all the best. and also former head of the Bureau of Meteorology and former CSIRO The forum also enabled research- scientist, will lead the panel. Below: Colleagues Dr Melanie Massaro ers to network through an interactive and A/Prof Dale Nimmo with Dr James afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks, The other panel members are: Van Dyke and Dr Geoff Heard hosted by PdCSU (Post-doctoral • Professor Nick Bond, the Direc- Society). A ‘fast pitch’ speed tor of the Centre for Freshwater collaboration activity also Ecosystems at LaTrobe Univer- encouraged inter-discipli- sity nary networking between • Professor Fran Sheldon, Profes- researchers. sor of Environment and Science at Griffith University Below left: Dr Jodi Price, Dr • Associate Professor Simon James Turner and Dr Adam Mitrovic from the University of Frew at the EMCR Interac- Technology in Sydney tive afternoon tea • Hydrologist Daren Barma,

Minister Littleproud said the panel will deliver the preliminary report and recommendations by 20 Febru- ary this year, with the final report by 31 March 2019

More information about the panel members, and the terms of refer- ence, are available on https://www. mdba.gov.au/managing-water/ drought-murray-darling-basin/fish- deaths-lower-darling/independent- assessment-fish.

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 37 Lachlan jointly managed between an with Lee Baumgartner 628 In the News environmental charity and an agricul- people reached and 112 engage- tural group which went right around ments Fish Deaths in the Darling Australia; as well as interviews on • Feb 1 The Conversation Pro- the decline of wetlands to coincide tecting the world’s wetlands: 5 Did someone say media? News with World Wetlands Day, Feb 2; Dr essential reads, 823 people of fish deaths in the Darling River Julia Howitt’s and Dr Keller Kopf ‘s reached and 75 engagements certainly generated an enormous comments on the blue-green algae amount of media interest to which outbreak in Lake Hume; spoke on And just as an example of the Insti- the Institute was well-placed to blue-green algae in Lake Hume on tute’s “reach” on social media, Feb respond. Nine News, Albury; and Dr Jonathon 7, ILWS shared a map of the river Howard’s comments about water systems and drainage patterns of So far this year, CSU Media has supplies in the Central West. Australian Rivers with mention of the put out five media releases on the Fish Passage 2018 conference and subject including the release The Institute members have also pro- Uncle Phil Duncan. Darling River Crisis: response from duced Opinion Pieces for the likes of CSU experts featuring the views of the Conversation and The Guardian “As of 9.30 am on Feb 14, 128,888 seven experts. which again led to more media cov- people reached and 23,908 engage- erage and requests for interviews. ments and we have 398 more At last count there were close to 300 people this week following ILWS on media hits involving Institute mem- These were: facebook, “ says ILWS social media bers since the story broke in early A good plan to help Darling River fish coordinator Simone Engdahl. “1181 January. Many of the interviews that recover exists: so let’s get on with it, people now follow us.” members did on ABC radio went written by Dr Lee Baumgartner and right around the country; the same Professor Max Finlayson, Jan 21 Deer and Nesting Boxes for print media. Protecting the world’s wetlands: 5 And it wasn’t just the responses to Members who have been speaking Essential Reads includes comments the fish kills that got good media on the subject to the media include: by Prof Max Finlayson, Feb 1 coverage. Two CSU Media releases, • Dr Lee Baumgartner who did one, O deer! Behind the conflict numerous interviews including Australia is the canary, and the coal between human and deer in Victoria, for ABC 24 News TV and ABC mine, for the world when it comes to ’ with Dr Jennifer Bond on a new Country Hour) water stress written by Dr Keller Kpf, study looking at human-deer conflict; • Dr Paul Humphries whose The Guardian, Feb 11 and another, Thinking outside the quotes about the source of algal box, with Professor David Watson blooms and aerators ended up in Social media on a new project creating innovative more than 100 regional newspa- high-tech nesting boxes, also got pers as well as national papers The response to ILWS Facebook extensive media coverage including such as the Sydney Morning posts about the issue, water and social media with post on the nesting Herald and the Canberra Times wetlands, has also been impressive. boxes getting 111 engagements. • Professor Robyn Watts who did For example, the post related to the radio interviews on how the use Conversation article written by Lee 500th interview of aerators to create fish refuges and Max reached 14,522 with 1004 has worked in the past engagements (where people clicked Associate Professor Dominic • ILWS Adjunct Professor John on the link to read more, like or com- O’Sullivan celebrated quite a mile- Williams spoke about the issue mented, or shared the post.) stone on December 4 last year – his as an expert in water economics, 500th media interview! “This morning environment and policy Other stats: have done my 500th media interview • Associate Professor Skye Was- • Jan 17 ABC.net au ran a for public and commercial radio, sens talked about the conditions story Climate change and poor television and print, including more that led to the fish kills on a com- management among factors than 300 live radio interviews,” said mercial radio network behind death of a million fish, Dominic at the time. “These are a • Institute Adjunct Professor Martin Robyn Watts and John Williams, combination of general political com- Mallen-Cooper gave his views 811 people reached and 121 mentaries and specialist research on what could be done to revive engagements informed interviews for local, national the Lower Darling River which • Jan 17 ABC Darling River mass and international media.” Dominic appeared in the various Rural fish kill could impact other states, is a regular contributor of Opinion Press publications Lee Baumgartner 1,436 people Pieces to the Conversation and other reached and 135 engagements, on-line news services and over the Related media coverage was Profes- • Jan 18 CSU news release The past three months has written five sor Max Finlayson’s comments on Darling River Crisis: response pieces. See more ABC radio on a $55M deal which from CSU experts 1,595 people will see two properties on the Lower reached and 214 engagements For details of ILWS media hits, check • Jan 22 ABC 24 News interview out our In the News web pages ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 38 Flow Programs in Complex Social- (2018) Water and Communities in Publications Ecological Systems. Environmental South Asia: A case for Regional The following is a small selection of Management Cooperation. Space and Culture, recent member publications. For a India 6: 23-40 more extensive list including links, Bunting, P., Rosenqvist, A., Lucas, please go to http://www.csu.edu.au/ R.M., Rebelo, L.-M., Hilarides, L., Spennemann, D.H.R. (2018). research/ilws/publications Thomas, N., Hardy, A., Itoh, T., Shi- Review of the vertebrate-mediated mada, M., Finlayson, C.M. (2018) dispersal of the Date Palm, Phoenix The Global Mangrove Watch—A dactylifera. Zoology in the Middle Peer reviewed papers New 2010 Global Baseline of Man- East, 64 (4) 283-296 grove Extent. Remote Sensing. 10: Baumgartner, L., Wibobo, A. (2018) 1669 Spennemann, D.H.R (2018) Pat- Addressing fish-passage issues at terns of late nineteenth and early hydropower and irrigation infrastruc- Finlayson, C. M. (2019) Addressing twentieth century land use by Pun- ture projects in Indonesia. Marine the decline in wetland biodiversity. jabi hawkers in Southern New South and Freshwater Research, 69: 1805- The Ecological Citizen, 2, 139-140 Wales, Australia. Journal of Sikh and 1813 Punjāb Studies. 25 (2) 225–273 Webster, C., Massaro, M., Beausoleil, N. J., Mellor, D. J., Baker, Michael, D.R., Bambrick, D., Riley, Silva, L.G.M., Beirão, B.V., Falcão, L., Baker, S. E., Bellio, M., Clarke, J.L.,Nimmo, D.G., (2018) Native rep- R.C., Castro, A.L.F., Dias, E.W. A. S., Dale, A., Garlick, A.S., Jones, tiles alter their foraging in the pres- (2018) It’s a catfish! Novel approach- B., Harvey, A., Pitcher, B.J., Sher- ence of the olfactory cues of invasive es are needed to study the effects of wen, S., Stockin, K.A,. Zito, S. (2018) mammalian predators, Royal Society rapid decompression on benthonic “Feelings and Fitness” Not “Feelings Open Science, 5 species. Marine and Freshwater or Fitness”–The Raison d’être of Research, 69: 1922-1933 Conservation Welfare, Which Aligns McFarlane, K., Colvin, E., McGrath, Conservation and Animal Welfare A. & Gerard, A. (2018) “‘Just another Silva, L.G.M., Baumgartner, L., Objectives. Frontiers in Veterinary policy document?’ Can a protocol Deng, Z.D., Fjeldstad, H-P. (2018) Science, 5(296) end the criminalisation of kids in Hydropower development and fish care?’ Alternative Law Journal management: a food–water–energy Gibson, C., Crockett, J., Dudg- nexus requiring international and eon, P., Bernoth, M., & Lincoln, M. Wild, T.B., Reed Patrick, M., multidisciplinary approach. Marine (2018). Sharing and valuing older Loucks,D.P., Mallen-Cooper, M., & and Freshwater Research, 69: i-iii Aboriginal people’s voices about Jensen Erland, D. (2019) Balanc- social and emotional wellbeing ser- ing Hydropower Development and Tziros, G., Burmeister, O., & Ber- vices: a strength-based approach for Ecological Impacts in the Mekong: noth, M. (2018) Respecting the service providers. Journal of ageing Tradeoffs for Sambor Mega Dam. meaning of culture and gender for and mental health Journal of Water Resources Plan- older Greek women. Australian Nurs- ning and Management, 145: ing and Midwifery Journal, 26(5), 48 Jones, M., Healy, J., Bridges, D., & 05018019 Mlcek, S. (2018) Gender Dynamics Ward, W.S. & Given, L.M. (2019) in Social Work Practice and Educa- Mlcek, S., Healy, J. & Bridges, D. Assessing intercultural communica- tion: A Critical Literature Review. (2018) What Does It Mean to Be Part tion: Testing technology tools for Australian Social Work, 72: 62-74 of the Gendered Space/s of Social information sharing in multinational Work? The International Journal of research teams, Journal of the Boys, C.A., Pflugrath, B.D., Mueller, Civic, Political, and Community Stud- Association for Information Science M., Pander, J., Deng, Z.D., & Geist, ies. 16: 1-12 and Technology J. (2018) Physical and hydraulic forces experienced by fish pass- Nimmo, D. G., Avitabile, S., Gosper, C.R., Fox, E., Burbidge, ing through three different low-head Banks, S.C., Bliege Bird, R., Cal- A.H., Craig, M.D., Douglas, T.K., hydropower turbines. Marine and lister, K., Clarke, M.F., Dickman, Fitzsimons, J.A., McNee, S., Freshwater Research, 69: 1934- C.R., Doherty, T.S., Driscoll, D.A., Nicholls, A.O., O’Connor, J., Prober, 1944 Greenville, A.C., Haslem, A., Kelly, S.M., Watson, D.M., Watson, S.J., L.T., Kenny, S.A., Lahoz-Monfort, & Yates, C. J. (2019) Multi-century Cash, B., Warburton, J. & Hodgkin, J.J., Lee, C., Leonard, S., Moore, periods since fire in an intact wood- S. (2018) Expectations of care within H., Newsome, T.M., Parr, C.L., land landscape favour bird species marriage for older couples. Australa- Ritchie, E.G., Schneider, K., Turner, declining in an adjacent agricultural sian Journal on Ageing J.M., Watson, S., Westbrooke, M., region. Biological Conservation, 230: Wouters, M., White, M. & Bennett, 82-90 Conallin, J., Campbell, J. & Baum- A.F. (2018) Animal movements in gartner, L. (2018) Using Strategic fire-prone landscapes. Biological Watson, D. M., Znidersic, E. & Adaptive Management to Facilitate Reviews Craig, M. D. (2018) Ethical birding Implementation of Environmental call playback, and conservation. Pulla, V., Ahmed, Z, S., Pawar, M. Conservation Biology ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 39 Driscoll, D.A. & Watson, M.J. (2019) Gregory, R., Funge-Smith, S.J. & ANZSOC 2018 Conference, Mel- Science denialism and compas- Baumgartner, L. (2018.) An eco- bourne, December 5-7 sionate conservation: response to system approach to promote the Wallach et al. 2018. Conservation integration and coexistence of fisher- Murphy, D. & McGrath, D. (2018) An Biology ies within irrigation systems. FAO investigation of accountability on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular context of an Australian credit union. Waudby, H.P., Petit, S., Matthews, No.1169 Paper presented at the A-CSEAR B., Sharp, A., Pradhan, R., & Dale, Conference, Melbourne, December B. (2018) Investigation of ticks Spennemann, D.H.R. (2018) 5-7 and red blood cell parasites of a Nineteenth Century Depictions of population of reintroduced mainland the Canary Date Palm (Phoenix Ragusa, A.T. (2018) Environmental tammar wallabies (Notamacropus Canariensis). A Visual Dataset. ILWS (de)valuation: Systemic rationalisa- eugenii eugenii) Australian Mammal- report 113 tion, individual (de)valuation. TASA ogy Conference, Deakin University, Mel- Spennemann, D.H.R. (2018) Docu- bourne, November 19-22 Books mentation of a naturalised Wash- ingtonia robusta growing in Albury Commentary Cobbinah, P.B. & Addaney, M. (NSW). Herbarium Specimens (eds.) (2019). The Geography of CSU5200–5202. ILWS report 119 Baumgartner, L.J., “Big Questions: Climate Change Adaptation in Urban can sustainability defeat overfish- Africa. Basingstoke, United Kingdom: Spennemann, D.H.R., Kent, K. & ing?” CSU Insight, November 20, Palgrave Macmillan Cook, R. (2018) Uninvited guests: 2018 Mass emergence of Scolytinid bee- Book Chapters tles in a seed germination experi- Garnett, S., Chauvenet, A., Reside, ment and its management. ILWS A., Wintle, B., Lindenmayer, D., Cobbinah, P.B. & Kosoe, E. A. Report 118 Watson, D.M., Bayraktarov, E., … (2019). Urban Residents and Com- Legge, S. For the first time we’ve munities Responses to Climate Watts, R.J., Threthewie, J., Liu, looked at every threatened bird in Change Impacts in Tamale, Ghana. X. (2018) Long Term Intervention Australia side-by-side, The Conver- In P.B. Cobbinah & M. Addaney Monitoring Project Edward-Wakool sation, November 27, 2018 (eds.), The Geography of Climate River System Selected Area Project Change Adaptation in Urban Africa. Progress Report #17 September More Basingstoke, United Kingdom: Pal- 2018 grave Macmillan Other Finlayson, C.M., de Groot, R.S., Conference Papers Bryan, A., Doran, G., Flakelar, Hughes, F.M.R. & Sullivan, C.A. Oelgemöller, M., Shields, (2019) Freshwater ecosystem Crampton, A. & Ragusa, A.T. Howitt, J., L. (2019) Clinical waste –a major services and functions. In Hughes, (2018) Up in smoke: The power and environmental burden. Australian J.M.R. (ed) Freshwater Ecology politics of air pollution in Australia. Hospital and Healthcare Bulletin. and Conservation: Approaches and TASA Conference, Deakin University, Techniques. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, November 19-22 (2019) Social develop- Oxford. Pp 321-337 Pawar, M. Colvin, E., McFarlane, K., Gerard, ment and economic development: A care for integration. In the January Ragusa, A.T. (2018). Beyond the A., McGrath, A., (2018) The Exacer- 2019 issue of the ICSW (Internation- Fringe? Market desirability and alter- bation of Vulnerability: the Intersec- al Council on Social Welfare) Global native sexuality in advertising news. tion of Bail, Homelessness and Care Cooperation Newsletter. http://icsw. (Chapter 6) In Golombisky, K. & in the NSW Children’s Court. Paper org/index.php/publications/icsw-glob- Kreshel, P. (Eds.). Feminist perspec- presented at ANZSOC 2018 Confer- al-newsletter/ tives on advertising: What’s the big ence, Melbourne, December 5-7 idea? Lexington Books, USA. Manohar, P. (2019) Health and wellbeing: The role of informal and CONTACT Reports formal care. Plenary presentation, Margrit Beemster Communications coordinator Baumgartner, L., Roy, M., Techasa- DYUTI 2019 Global Social Work rin, K. (2019) Lower Mekong Fish Conference on Multi-sectoral and Interdisciplinary Responses to Health Institute for Land, Water and Society Passage Initiative: Masterclass in Charles Sturt University Fish Passage Engineering Design, and Well-being, Kochi, Kerala, India, Ph: 0260 519 653 Construction, Ecology and Monitor- January 9-11 Email: [email protected] ing. Report prepared for the Craw- ford Fund McFarlane, K. (2018) The Trauma of P.O. Box 789 Out-Of-Home-Care: the criminogenic ALBURY NSW 2640 consequences of, and institutional AUSTRALIA responses to, care-related abuse www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws and neglect. Paper presented at

ILWS Newsletter Issue 53 - 2019 40