Upper

 

   Talking fish     Making connections with the   of the Murray-Darling Basin Authors ZaferSarac,HamishSewell,GregRingwood,LizBakerandScottNichols The rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin Citation:Sarac,Z.,Sewell,H.,Ringwood,G.Baker,E.andNichols,S.(2012)Upper TheriversandcreeksoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinflowthrough,NewSouth Condamine:TalkingfishͲmakingconnectionswiththeriversoftheMurrayͲ Wales,theAustralianCapitalTerritory,VictoriaandSouth.The77000kmof DarlingBasin,MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,Canberra. waterwaysthatmakeuptheBasinlink23catchmentsoveranareaof1millionkm2. Projectsteeringcommittee TerryKorodaj(MDBA),CameronLay(NSWDPI),ZaferSarac(QldDEEDI),Adrian Eachriverhasitsowncharacteryetthesewaters,thefish,theplants,andthepeoplethat Wells(MDBACommunityStakeholderTaskforce),PeterJackson(MDBANative relyonthemarealldifferent. FishStrategyadvisor),FernHames(VicDSE)andJonathanMcPhail(PIRSA). Thebookletsinthisseriestellthestoriesofhowtherivers,fishandfishinghavechanged. ProjectTeam ScottNichols,CameronLay,CraigCopeland,LizBaker(NSWDPI);JodiFrawley, Themainstoriesinthesebookletsarewrittenfromoralhistoryinterviewsconductedwith HeatherGoodall(UTS);ZaferSarac,GregRingwood(QldDEEDI);HamishSewell localfishersin2010Ͳ11,andrelateindividuals’memoriesofhowtheirlocalplaceshave (TheStoryProject);PhilDuncan(NgnuluConsulting);TerryKorodaj(MDBA); changed.ThesebookletsshowcasethreewaysofknowingtheCondamineRiver:personal FernHames,PamClunie,SteveSaddlier(VicDSE);JonathanMcPhail, VirginiaSimpson(PIRSA);WillTrueman(researcher). experience,scientificresearchandhistoricalresearch.Justasindividualfishersdonot alwaysagreewithoneanother,sotheirunderstandingmightnotnecessarilyagreewith ISBN978Ͳ1Ͳ921914Ͳ45Ͳ4 currentscientificinformationorhistoricalrecords.Similarly,specificitemsandeventsmight ©MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,2012 beremembereddifferentlybydifferentpeople.Thesevariedperspectivesshowtherangein PublishedbytheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority(MDBA),Canberra. viewsaboutfishingandtherivers,eachimportantinitsownway.Therearemanyother Graphicalandtextualinformationinthework(withtheexceptionof great stories out there about fishing in the Murray Darling Basin. These booklets are just the photographsandtheMDBAlogo)maybestored,retrievedandreproducedin         Ͳ        wholeorinpart,providedtheinformationisnotsoldorusedforcommercial beginning. benefitanditssource(MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,TalkingFishProject)is  acknowledged.Reproductionforotherpurposesisprohibitedwithoutprior permissionoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthorityorthecopyrightholdersinthe Acknowledgements–UpperCondamine caseofphotographs.Totheextentpermittedbylaw,thecopyrightholders (includingitsemployeesandconsultants)excludeallliabilitytoanypersonfor AveryspecialthankyoutoSamBonner(GithabulElder),NoalKuhl,BrianKuhn,DessieObst, anyconsequences,includingbutnotlimitedtoalllosses,damages,costs, Geoff Reilly and Olive and Ray Shooter, who generously shared their stories and expensesandanyothercompensation,arisingdirectlyorindirectlyfromusing              thisreport(inpartorinwhole)andanyinformationormaterialcontainedinit. photographsinthisbooklet. Thecontentsofthispublicationdonotpurporttorepresentthepositionofthe MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority.Theyarepresentedtoinformdiscussionfor  improvedmanagementoftheBasin'snaturalresources. Adviceandfieldsupport–UpperCondamine ResearchandeditingbytheNSWDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries(NSWDPI) HamishSewell(TheStoryProject)andGregRingwood(NFSCoordinator,FisheriesQueensland). andtheUniversityofTechnology,Sydney(UTS).Theviewsexpressedinthis bookletarenotnecessarilythoseoftheNSWDPI,UTSorotherprojectpartners. Frontphotographs–LͲR Source:DessieObst. TheMDBAacknowledgestheintellectualpropertyrightsofthepeoplewhose Source:GeoffReilly. storiesarefeaturedinthispublication. Source:GregRingwood. Aboriginalreadersarewarnedthatthispublicationmaycontainthenamesand Source:GregRingwood. imagesofAboriginalpeoplewhohavesincepassedaway. Backpageimages  GoldfishandHyrtl’s:GuntherSchmida.Allotherfishimages:NSWDPI.  TheCondamineRiverrisesintheBorderRangesthen makesitswayalongtheeasternpartoftheDarlingDowns TheCondamineͲariversystem regioninSouthernQueensland,becomingtheBalonne RivernearGlenmorgan.The13000km2catchmentisone notjustachannel,muchofits ofthemajortributariesoftheDarlingRiverSystem. Twentythousandyearsago,theBarunggam,Bigambul, Giabal,Kambuwal,GithabulandJarowairpeopleknewa waterisundergroundyouonly verydifferentCondamineRiver:acoolerclimate,different plantsandand,mostimportantly,ariverthat see its power after a sudden flowedyearround.Withmuchofthewaterinthe       CondamineRiverflowingunderground,springfedcreeks ³ andwaterholeswerepermanentwatersourcesutilisedby downpourreinvigoratesit. fishandtraditionalownersalike.  Nowadays the river waters one of the richest agricultural           areasinQueensland.Theaverageannualrainfallisin  excessof600mm,mainlyfallingduringthesummer months.Alluvialflatsadjacenttoandeastofthe Condaminearefertileandparticularlysuitedtocropping. Intensivelanduseanddevelopmenthasresultedinavery differentrivertothatofyearsago.Theextensive floodplainsareeasilyerodedandwiththearrivalof hoofedstocktheCondamineRiverchangedandnowthe catchmentisdegradedsignificantly.Over60%ofthe aquatichabitatisnowconsideredinpoorcondition. Thesearethestoriesofthosewholovetheriverandwho lovetofishintheriver.Theirstoriesarepartofabigger storyaboutchangestotheCondamineRiveranditsfish. PeoplerememberthegloryoftheCondaminepastand wanttotalkaboutafuturefortheCondamineandtheir visionsforahealthyriverthatis,onceagain,fullofnative fish. Introducing the river and its people TherichnessoftheUpperCondamine Once upon a time allowedlocalclanstotradewiththeclans PriortotheEuropeansettlementtherewere fromothercatchments. atleasteightAboriginalclansintheUpper Althoughtherehavebeensomechanges Condaminecatchment.Thesecommunities overtheyears,traditionsassociatedwiththe wouldgathereverythreeyearsintheBunya riverareasvividnowastheywerebefore Mountains,northofDalby,fromMayto thearrivaloftheEuropeans.AsSamBonner, November,forthebunyanutharvest. GithabulElder,pointsout: EuropeanrecordsofmultiͲclanAboriginal gatheringgoesbackto1866when400–500 Inpasttimesaboriginalswererequiredto individualsfromBarunggam,Bigambul,Dalla, removerubbishfromtheriverleavingitclean and tidy as they found it. Giabal,JagaraandtheJarowairpeople       gatheredalongLakeBroadwaternearDalby. Asinthepast,therivercontinuestoplaya significantroleinthelivesofAboriginal TheseAboriginalclanshaveastrongspiritual peopletoday. connectionwiththeCondamineRiver.The TheUpperCondaminewasrichinfish, BarunggampeoplebelievethattheGreat freshwaterturtles,shellfishandwaterfowlas RainbowSerpentcalledGaiwarcarvedout wellasatriennialbumpercropofbunya therivers,creeksandlakesduringitsjourney nuts.Thisledtotheareabeingaregular acrosstheearth.TheGithabulpeoplecalled gatheringsiteforthesurroundingclans². theRainbowSerpentMochelMocheland Nardoo,aplantwhichgrowsintheshallow believethatitlivedinthewaterholesaround marginsofbillabongsalongtheCondamine, Warwick.FortheGithabulpeopleswimming wasgroundtomakeatypeofpancake.The intheriverwasassociatedwithstrictrules. bulbsofthenativeleekandwaterlilieswere Thegendersweresegregatedandallocated usedasvegetables³.Thebanksofthe separatetimes.Somewaterholeswerealso CondamineRiveranditstributariesalso usedforinitiationceremoniesthatwereout provided the Aboriginal peoples with the        AcreekintheUpperCondamineRivercatchment of bound to the opposite sex³.       fruitsofrubysaltbush,nativelime,winter withintactriparianvegetation.Photo:CondamineAlliance.  appleandsandalwood.

  The arrival of the Europeans ThefirstEuropeanexplorerinthearea,Alan Cunningham,travelledthroughthe catchmentin1827,namingtheDarling DownsafterthegovernorofNSW,SirRalph Darling.Duringthe1840s,theearlysettlers establishedseveralgrazingenterprises.More settlementswereencouragedafter Queenslandbecameastatein1859,and legislationwaspassedtosubdividelarge pastoralestablishmentsintosmallerblocks toincreasepopulation².   BrianKuhnhasbeenaresident,fisherman,fish SamBonner,GithabulElder,ispassionateaboutthe Theareawitnessedasignificantincreasein stockingclubmemberandFishcarevolunteer.More Condamine.Samiskeentopassonhistraditionaland theregion’sagriculturaleconomyasthe recentlyBrianhasbeeninvolvedinriverrestoration environmentalknowledgeontothechildren,toshow croppinganddairyindustriesexpanded. projects.Photo:GregRingwood. themwhattherivermeanstohimandhispeople. Photo:GregRingwood. TheLeslieDam,southwestofWarwick,was   constructedin1964withawaterstorage  capacityof47000ML.Itwaslatermodified toincreaseitswaterholdingcapacityto supporttheindustry. Waterextractionsandweirshaveresultedin reducedhighflows,minorchangesto seasonalityandvariabilityandareductionin annualwatervolumeswithinthe Condamine.Reducedflowsandnutrient runoffhavealsoincreasedtheincidenceof blueͲgreenalgalbloomsinthesystem.  NoalKuhlisakeenfishermanandfishingjournalist.   OliveandRayShooterhavelivedonDalrympleCreek Heisinvolvedinthelocalfishstockingclubandhas for48andover77yearsrespectively.Intheiryounger undertakenlocalhistoricalresearchtoguidemany  yearstheirlivesrevolvedaroundthecreek. riverrestorationprojectsinhisarea.Photo:Greg Photo:GregRingwood. Ringwood.

  Brian Kuhn – The passion of a farmer BrianKuhnhasbeen bobupanddownyouknewyouhadabite. So it was an easy way to learn to fish workingasafarmer           anyway. S  sincehewas17years pan gled old.Helivesona Brianrememberscatchingmanyfish,but (Leiopotheraponunicolourperch Ͳ propertythatborders mostlycatfish. bobby,spangledgrunter,nicky) KingsCreek,amajor Wellthemajorityoffishwecaughtwere tributaryofthe whatwecalledtheoldeeltailedcatfish.He CondamineRiver.Brian wasthemostpredominantfishwecaught. hasfishedtheKings Wecaughttheoddyellowbellyorgolden sincehewasold perch,evenrarer,wastheoddMurraycod. enoughtofish. Butsincewehavestartedstockinggolden perchandMurraycodinthesesystemsthey havebecomemoreprevalent.  Catfish and more Photo:GuntherSchmida. FishingisafamilypastͲ  The silver lining Average length 15cm, maximum length 25cm timeinthispartofthe x       worldandthefishing Everyonehasasecretaboutfishing–Brian’s x Extremelyhardy:recordedtravellingupto16km in2hoursalongwheelrutsduringthunderstorms skillshavebeenpassed fatherwasnoexception. Upstream spawning migrations triggered by downfromgeneration IrememberbacktowhenDadtaughtme x      summerfloodsandtemperaturesexceeding to generation fishinginthecreekyearsago.Wehadalittle   26ºC unchanged. Brian fishcalledthebobbyperch.Nowtheyonly   Highly predatory fish that will eat anything it can evergrowtoabout15cm.That’sprobablyas x          learnedhowtofish swallow fromhisfatherwho bigastheygrowandonceyougotthemon thebitetherewasalittlefeedingfrenzy,Dad x Mostwidespreadnativefreshwaterfishin hadaneasywaytoteachthekidswhen Australia usedtoputalittlepieceofsilverpaperoutof  they’dcaughtafish. histobaccopouchandthey'dtakethat.SoI x Riverregulation,coldwaterpollutionand Hehadafloatontheendofhislineandthe meanifyourunoutofwormsjustputabitof reducedfloodsarethreatstospangledperch linewassuspendedaboutprobably3or4 silverpaperontheendandputitinthe x RemainsabundantacrossthenorthernBasin feetunderthewaterand,you'dsittherein waterandflick.Probablyworkslikeanearly theafternoonandwhenthecorkstartedto versionofalure.

  Doing what young people do Losing the banks ToBrian,theriverprovidedalotmorethan Oneofthemajorissuesinrelationtothe Th justthefish. habitatlossintheUpperCondamineisthe e Ri removal of snags from the river channel. ver Livingonthecreek,ourhousewaslessthan        Imp Brianremembers: rov 100metresfromthewater.We'djustpop emen downintheafternoonandcatchafish.But t T Inthe1960s,therewasaschemegoing.It rust asIgrewolderandstartedhavingfriends wasrunbytheCondamineRiverTrustand we'dcomeouthere,15kmoutofClifton, theirjobwasfundedbytheGovernmentto campthenight,haveafishand,youknow, removeallthetreesandsnagsoutofthe dowhatyoungpeopledo. streams.Itwastoletthewatergetaway faster,toallegedlystopfloodingdownthe  The secret of preparing a fish streams.Well,Ithinkitmadeitworse, TheRiverImprovementTrustisastatutoryauthority becauseIthinkitmadethewaterflowalot Itseemsregularfishingcreatessome constitutedundertheRiverImprovementTrustAct fasterandtherewasalotmoredamageand 1940toprotectandimproverivers,repairandprevent practical ways of preparing and cooking fish,        erosiondonetothebanks. damagetoriversandpreventormitigatefloodingof especiallywhenthetasteofthefishfilletsis landbyriverineflood. taintedwithasomewhatmuddytaste. Righting the wrongs TheprimaryroleoftheTrustistoplan,design,finance, Gone are the old days of just throwing a fish           Briannoteshowattitudeshavechanged undertakeandmaintainstreamimprovementworks ontheBBQ,scalesandallbecauseyoudo overtheyears.Hehasworkedwithlocal forthebenefitofthecommunitywithinitsriver getaverymuddytasteoutoftheflesh. improvement area. authorities to improve this section of the   Therearevariousrecipessoakingthemin        milkorsoakingtheminsaltywaterafter CondamineRiver. TheTrusthasthepowerstoundertakethesefunctions you've filleted them. The best is to leave it includingtheabilitytoraisefunds,enterland,occupy          Inthelastthreeyears,moneywasallocated 4 land,enterintocontractsandcarryoutworks . overnightinthefridgeandthennext heresowecouldstartputtingsnagsbackin morningyouwillseeallthefatareasonthe the water. In this general area of 500 metres          IntheupperCondamineRivertheTrustremoved fleshhavesolidified.Allyoudoiscutthat 12big,bigtreeswereplonkedbackinthe habitat,vegetationandsnags,formingachannelwith away and give that to the cat and the nice           water. increasedwatervelocities,leadingtoelevatederosion clearfleshittastesfine.TheMurraycod issues and increased down stream flooding in many          doesn'tseemtohavethatproblemassuch. cases.Thisimpactedheavilyonnativefishpopulations.

  Sam Bonner – Traditional river connections Theycomeupfromunderneathhere,because SamBonnerisaGithabulElderwholivesclose it’sdeep,sodeepitwasbottomless,itgoes toEmuCreek,oneoftributariesofthe intothebigundergroundstream.It’slikeabig CondamineRiver.Hehasacloseconnection seaofwater,allthiscountry,underneath withtheriver. there.Therearepassageways,andthese Sampointstoariverredgumwhosetrunkstill thingsmightcomeupdownTweedHeadsor bearsthedeepscarfrombarkremovedto somewhere,ortheymightcomeupoutat constructacanoeover160yearsago. Cunnamulla.Sothisisasacredwaterhole,this place. We’re never allowed to swim here on AccordingtoSam,canoesweremadebythe         account of they said there’s some prehistoric localAboriginalsnotfortheirownusebutto        or something that’s in here. No one tradewithotherAboriginaltribesforlocally         knows what it is, you know. But it has been unavailableproductssuchasochrefor           sighted back in them days. Some describe it as painting.          likeabigovergrownwombat. Hereweare,infrontofascarredtree.See howtheycutaroundthatsappypart,and  tookallthatout.Theyusedtodothatwith wedges.Theyhadspecialmaterialtomake wedgesoutof,youknow,likespecialstone. Andtheycutthemandmarkthemallthe wayaroundandthentheywedgeit.They wedgeallthatout.Thatiswhattheyusedto makethecanoeoutof.

An underground sea  SamBonnerandthecanoetree. TheGithabulpeoplemaintainedaclose Photo:GregRingwood. relationshipwiththeriver,usingstoriesto Sincewayback–Iwastoldaboutit,backin conveytheconnectivityofwatersaboveand the 1950s, they said 70 years before the          belowground. animalthingwassightedhere.Mumandthe AnUpperCondamineRiverwaterhole. otherelderstoldmeevery70or80years Photo:GregRingwood. thosethingscomebackandshowthemselves.

  Only take what you need Weworkedinsawmillsandthings.Wenever hadthatmuchsparetime.Weekendswere Samlearnedhowtofishfromhisaunties. S theonlytimewehad,andthenifwewere ilver Theyoftenwentfishingtobringhomea luckywe’dgettotown.Ifnotwe’dcome (BidyanusbidyanusͲgrunter,perchblackbream, feedforthefamily,alwayscatchingwhat fishingtotheseplaces.We’vefishedallalong silverbream,bidyan)  theyneededandonlywhattheyneeded. here.Weusedtocatchafairbitoffishbackin themdays,18or19jew[catfish]and Theywouldcatchaboutfiveorsixeach,and yellowbelly.You’dgetagoodfeedeverytime. thenstartpackingupandputthefishinthe bags,andIcouldn’tunderstandmyself.I Samandhisfamilyusedavarietyofbaits usedtosay‘Aunty,whatarewegoinghome whentheyfished,attachingacorktotheline for?We’llgetsomemore.’Andshewould andusing‘bobbing’techniquestoattractthe reply‘No,you’reonlyallowedtocatchso fish. many.’That’swhattheytaughtme.Youonly catch what fed the family, see. You’re not to Weusedtouseanythingforbait.Maybe           Photo:BarryPorter. getanymore. crayfishandfrogsarenumberone, grasshoppers,crickets,andblackcrickets. x Mediumtolargefishgrowingto50cmand Sam,hisfamilyandfriendsalwayskeptthe We’djustliftupalogorcowmanuretosee 8kg,butusually35cmand2kg rivercleanandtidy.Forothers,suchcarefor andyou’dseeplentyofcrickets.Usethem, x FoundinsimilarhabitstoMurraycodand theriverwasnotalwaysundertaken, anything.Getthecorkbobbingsteadysoit goldenperch(lowlandturgid,slowflowing especiallywhenitcametocatchingfish. makesabignoisegoing‘pop’whenitcomes rivers) up.Thebiggerandwiderthecorkthebetterit x Spawningcanoccurwithoutaflood,but Peoplethesedaystheyfilltheirfridgeright makesthatnoise.Thefishhearitandthey thesefishseemtobenefitfromariseinwater uptothetopwithfish.That’sstupid.That’s comeandtheyseethebaitmoving,andthey level greedy.They’restilldoingit.Theytakebig justgoandgrabit. x Willmovethroughfishways eskiesoutthereandtheybringhomeas Eat aquatic plants, snails, shrimp, and aquatic muchastheycancatch–unbelievableͲwhat x        insectlarvae dotheydowithitall?Theycan’teatallthat. Protecting the perch Potential threats include river regulation, EmuCreekflowsstraightintotheCondamine x      Timber mills and bobbing barrierstomigration,alteredflowregimes, River.IthasMurraycod,yellowbellyand coldwaterpollutionandinteractionswith Sam’sfatherwasatreeͲcutter,somost catfishthatallbreedinthecreek’s carpandredfin familymembersworkedinthelocaltimber waterholes.Occasionallyyoucangetsilver mill.Theyusedsomeoftheirfreetime perch,buttheyareverysmallinthecreek. catchingfishinEmuCreek.

  Perchlikealotofprotection,lotsoftrees, Thewaterholesaregettingsmallerand R n becausethey’refishthatbirdscangeteasily, shallowerallthetimebecausetheyhaven’t iver v especiallyKingfishersandstufflikethat, beenallowedtorevegetatethemselves,now Waterplantsareimportantegebecauseta theyprovide becauseperchareonlysmall.Yougetsilver we’vegottohelpthemtorevegetate.Thisis habitat,food,refuge,spawningtandio nurserysitesfor perchherenomorethanaboutsix,seven allpartofthemaincatchmentofthe fishandinvertebrates.Theyalsostabiliseandfilter inches.Birdsgetanythingthattheycansee. Condamineanddefinitelyhastobelooked sedimentsandinfluencewaterquality. Theycanseeoutintheopen,butaround after.  shadetheycan’tseefish.

  Riparianvegetationprovidesshadeandisasourceof  AsilverperchinOakeyCreek.Photo:NoalKuhl. snags,bothofwhichareimportantaspectsofhealthy Ribbonweedgrowingnexttoasnag.Photo:ScottNichols. fishhabitat.Photo:CondamineAlliance.  The importance of plants  Theplantsontheriverbank(‘riparianvegetation’)are akeysourceoforganicmatterfortheaquaticsystem. SambelievestheriveralongEmuCreekhas Manyaquaticinvertebratesfeedondecayingmaterial changedovertheyears.Itispartlydueto andthese,inturn,provideafoodsourceforother theclearingofvegetationinandaroundthe invertebratesandfish.Woodymaterialwhichfalls into rivers and streams provide fish with shelter and a river.            substrateforfood,suchasalgae,andbreedingsites. It’schanged–there’snotenoughvegetation Riparianvegetationprovidesshade,whichreduces herenow–timberandstuff.Andyoucansee dailyandseasonalextremesinwatertemperature, whereit’sgraduallygettingwasheddown stabilisesriverbanks,slowssurfacerunoffandcanact asafiltertopollutantsandnutrients.Italsoleadsto andthebanksonthecreeksaregetting morediversefishhabitatsthroughprovidingsnags, narrower.That’sbecausenovegetationis  The revegetation of Myall Creek, a tributary of the undercutbanksandvariationinthechannelbed. theretohalttheerosion.          CondamineRiver,wasseverelyaffectedbythe2010– 2011floods.Photo:CondamineAlliance.

  Olive and Ray Shooter – A lifetime on the creek OliveandRay Fishing is a family pastime Shooterhavebeen marriedsince1963. Raydidnotfishmuchwhenhewasyoung, Rayhaslivedalong buthisfatherandbrotherwerekeenfishers. DalrympleCreekfor Theycaughtyellowbelly,jewfish(catfish) over77years.Olive andcod. grewupafew TheyusedtofishinDalrympleandthe kilometresfrom Condamine.Inmyboyhooddaysthecod wheretheylive weren’there,butIheardstoriesfrommy today,movingto father,whenhewasaboy,thatthereplenty theircurrenthome48yearsago. ofcodinthecreek.Theydisappearedforsome reasonorother,andtheycomebackin30 WhenhewasaboyRaycouldnotkeepaway Mayfliesareimportant yearsago,Isuppose.Andthey–wellthey parts of the aquatic fromthecreek.     lastedupuntilthedry,Ithink,thatthatwould ecosystem–and Oh,itwasverycarefreeandweusedtoswim havefinishedthemoff.Butoursonhascaught particularlylovedby andplayinthecreek.Therewerewillowsin asmallcodrecently;wehadtothrowhim fishasfood. Photo:LukePearce. thecreekatthattime,andtheywerelovely backofcourse,sotheyarestillabout.  shadytree.Itwasgood. Although Ray does not fish, Olive is a keen          Learning to fish Rayandhisfamilyalsooftenhadpicnics fisher.Sheseesfishingasarelaxingactivity. Olive’sfatherwasafisherman,andtaught alongtheriver. Ijustlovefishing.It’slikelookingfor Oliveandhersistershowtofish.Theyused We used to – even when we were young, mushrooms,really.Youneverknowwhen          severaldifferentmethodsoffishing haveafewpicnicsonthebank.Weusedto you’regoingtogetone,doyou?Iusedto betweenthem. taketheafternoontea.Itwaslovely,ithad alwayssay,’Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheryou theCondaminecouchunderthetrees.Itwas sitatthebankalldayandyoucatchnothing, Dadusedtosetusalinewithacorkonitand afairlynicelittlearea.Mainlyjustusand it’slovely.’Thedragonflies,andeverything we’dsitwiththatwhenwe’dgofishing. othernephewsandniecesthatmightcome thatflitsaroundthecreekarethere.Little Mumneverfished.Shewouldalwaystake andstay.We’djustplayaroundandmaybe wrensandkingfishersandalltheotherlittle theNewIdeaandhaveadayoutattheriver. paddlealittlebit,becauseyoucouldget birdlifeflitteringaround.It’sbeautiful. Itwasagoodfamilyday. downintothecreekveryeasily.

  Whenwewerekidsandwe’dgodownto Best thing you could ever get OliveisnowteachinghergrandsonHarryto KingsCreek,myeldestsisterhadanideathat fishthesamewayasshedidherson. ifyoubobbedyou’dcatchmore.Shecaught WhenteachinghersontofishOliveloved Harry is 11 and a real fisherman. He can talk 48spangledperchonedaybyjustbobbing thespangledperch.           of nothing else but fishing when he’s fishing. thecorkallthetime.Wecouldn’teverrepeat         Spangledpercharethemostbeautifullittle He comes up to me wanting to go fishing that.          fishyou’veeverseen.They’readearlittle becausehe’snotallowedtogotothecreek Ineverevenuseacorknow,andIdon’tlike fish.Formothersintroducingtheirsonsto onhisown.Hetakesaloungechairformeto rodseither.Youcan’tfeelwhatthefishis fishing,theywerethebestthingyoucould sitonwhilehefishes. doingwitharod.Ifyoujustholdontothe everget,becauseassoonasthebaithitsthe line,youknowwhatthefishisdoing. watertheygrabbedit.Youcouldcatchthem A drier creek withapinonastring.Youcouldjustthrowit in,andwhateveryouhadasbait,theywould BothOliveandRayhavenoticedchangesin biteonit.Ithinktheywerethebestfunfor thecreekovertheyears.Inthe1950sand mothersandsmallboys. ‘60s,Olivenoticedthatthelocalwaterhole driedoutlessoften. Driven to distraction Justdownhere,whereIalwaysfished,the Whenthefishareonthebite,notevena bighole.Wellit’sbeendryonquiteafew fearofthebaitwouldstopOlivefrom occasionslatelyanditneverwasdryinpast catchingafish. years.Wealwayshadwaterinthecreek.But thosetimesaregone. OnetimewhenIcouldn’tfindanyworms,my sonsaidhe’dgetsomewillowgrubs, Someoftheaquaticcreatureshavewaysof somethingIdon’tliketohandle.Anyway,I copingwiththesechanges,asOliveexplains: tookthetoiletpaperwithme,andIusedto There’syabbiesinthelittleholedownhere. getapieceoftoiletpaper,andpickupthe They’reamazingreally,‘causethewaterhole willowgrubwiththat,andputitonthehook goescompletelydryandthere’snothing andbaitup.Iwasgoingallrightuntilthey thereatall.Thenassoonasitgetswaterin startedbiting,andthenallofasuddenI itthere’syabbiesandthelittleperch, didn’tcareifIpickedupawillowgrubornot. spangledperch,init. IpickedupawillowgrubandIputitonthe hook,notrouble.Ididn’tneedtoiletpaper  afterthat.   Olivewithoneofhercatches.Photo:RayShooter.

  Rayalsosaystheriverdriesoutmore Inanattempttoaddresssomeofthese Ya regularlythanithasinthepast. problems,theRiverTrustcarriedoutwork bb onerosioneffectedareas,somemore (Cheraxdestructor)y  I’velivedonthecreekallmylife.I’venoticed  abigchangeinthecreek.WhenIwasakid, successfulthanothers,asRayexplains: weusedtoswimandplayinthecreekandit Theytriedthreedifferentthingstoaid veryrarelystoppedrunninginthosedays.It’s erosioncontrolthatIcanremember.They changeddramaticallynow.PartlyI’dsay batteredthebanksdownandplantedgrass becauseofthe16,18yeardroughtthat onthem.Thatwasmoderatelysuccessful. we’vehad,andtheoverͲallocationofthe Theyputawalloftyresdownthebankthere; irrigationwater. toholdthecreekfromwashingbacktothe road.Thetyresweresuccessful.Andthen A changed creek theyputpostsinandtiedlogsandbrown saplingstothemandtheybackfilledthat Removalofvegetationalongtheriverhas then,butthatwasn’tasuccessbecausethe affectedtheflowandcreekbanks.Ray  saplingsthattheyputinverysoonrotted Photo:GregRingwood. recalls: awayanditwashedaway. x Seldomover250g Intheirwisdom,theRiver[Improvement] x WidelydistributedinSEAustralia Trustdecidedtogetridofthewillowtrees, x Foundinponds,billabongsandslowflowing theywereslowingdownthestreamtoo streams much.Andtheytookthemout,andasa resultthen,thestreamranmuchfaster,and x Moreactiveinthewarmermonths,lessactive whenwatertemperaturesarebelow14°C itscouredthebanksanditmadeitintoa differentcreekaltogether.Insteadofthenice x BreedfromSeptembertoMarch slopedgrassybanks,wefinishedupwitha x Fastgrowing:canreach50ginfirstyear greatscouredoutsteepbank.Itusedtotake x Livefor6Ͳ7years 24hoursforthewatertocomefromthetop x Reductionofbackwaters,floodplainsand downtohere,andafterthatitcamefor12 billabongsbiggestthreat,overfishingleadingto hours.Beforetheflowwouldgettothe localisedlosses Condamine,itdepositedallthesilt.    DenudedanderodingbanksontheCondamine.  Photo:BrianKuhn.   

  Noal Kuhl – Angler, historian and fish habitat restorer waterqualitywasreduced.Nowthe  Noalbecameinterestedinthehealthofthe seweragewaterisnolongerbeingreleased waterways so future generations could NoalKuhlhaslivedin      intothecreek,allthefishhavetorelyonis Oakeyareaallhislife. respectandknowthatwaterwaysare therainwaterthatfallsinthecatchment Restoringthelocal importantecosystemstohaveinthe zone.Thecreekisnotaspermanentaswhat waterwaystotheir communityandnotawatersourcetobe itusedtobe. formernaturalglory abused.In1994hejoinedtheOakey hasalwaysbeenan FreshwaterFishStockingAssociation. ambition. Throughhisinvolvementwiththefishing  associationNoalbeganinterviewingthelong termresidentsforhistoricalrecordsand  startedpiecingtogethersomeofthe changesthathadoccurredtothewaterholes All you saw was sewage andheadwatersoftheCondamineRiver, AsayoungstergrowingupNoalsawhow includingGowrie,WestbrookandOakey poorlytheriverwastreated. Creek.  Noalwithoneofthewaterqualitysamplesfrom WhenIgrewupinthe1970s,allyoucould Thefirstsettlersonlyneededthewaterfor OakeyCreek,downstreamfromGowrieCreek.The seewassewageflowingdownthecreekand theirdomesticuse,wherethey’dbewashing waterinOakeyCreekcontainstreatedwastewater itwasfoamy,brown,andthatcertainly clothes,orfeedinglivestock.Therewasno fromtheWetellatreatmentplantin wasn’teyeͲpleasing.Itcertainlywasn’t largescaleirrigationlikewehavenow.So Cityaswellasstormwatercomesfromthecity appealingaskidstocomedowntothelocal nowduringdrytimes,youwillprobablysee streetsandsurroundingfarmland. Photo:www.nma.gov.au. creeksforafish.Soitbecameachallengeto thecreekrundry.Backinthe1960s change all of that. With the Environmental Toowoomba City was expanding and housing              Carp country ProtectionAgencyinplace,thelocalcouncil estatesstartedcoveringoverthe wereforcedtocleanupthecreeks.The surroundingnaturalsprings,sothere’sless It’snotonlythewaterflowsthathave improvementintreatedwaterflowing waterseepingoutandfilteringintothe changedinthispartoftheCondamine– downstreambecamenoticeable.Thecreek creeksnow.Notalotofpeoplenoticed manypartsoftheriveranditscreekshave landowners tell us they noticed better quality because sewerage treatment water was             hadtheirvegetationclearedtothecreek waterinthecreeksaround1997asitgota replacingthegoodspringwater,sothe edgeandremovedfromthecreekchannel. lotcleanerandalotclearer. waterlevelbasicallystayedthesamebutthe

  Thishasledtoareassodisturbedthatthey theyarenotoftenfoundinthenaturalriver cannolongersupportadiverserangeof system.Noalputsthisdowntohabitatloss aquaticlifeincludingthenativefishthat frompasthumanactivities. once thrived here. Despite carp only arriving        Muchofsilverperch’shabitathasbeen intheUpperCondamineinthelate1990s, destroyedandwildpopulationsofthemare Noaldescribestheseareasas‘carpcountry’: veryrare.Therewasalotofdiscussioninour Basically,thisisEuropeancarpcountry:if stockinggroupaboutreleasingthesefish. youfishhereyouwillcatchalotofcarp. Fishermentoldus‘itsverydifficulttocatch Thereisbasicallynohabitatherefornative legalsizedfishfortheesky’.Ourstocking fishtolive.Therearenotreesfornativefish groupcommittee’sresponsewas‘It’sour liveunder.It’sjusta‘glorifiedgully’.There’s group’sresponsibilitytomakesurethis iskeptaliveandhealthyinour  hardlyanystructureinthewater,nologsin Groundworkedoverforbloodworms.Photo:NoalKuhl. thewater,oranythingtoholdnativefish.It’s waterways’. alsoshallow,aboutfourtosixfootdeepright Somefriendlyruleshavebeendevelopedto throughandthat’swhatcarplike. A wriggly problem lessentheimpactontheriparianzones. Therearemanydifferenttypesofbaitused Localfishermenhavetheirownlittlebeds tocatchfishintheUpperCondaminebut,as madeupandtheycontinuallydigthemover Noalrecounts,bloodwormsareconsidered forwormsandlookafterthem.That’swhat is needed: to limit the diggings and reduce thebest,especiallythespeciesthatlivein         theneedtogointonewareasandstuffup theblacksoilcountryoftheDarlingDowns. theriparianzones. Thelocalfishermencometothewaterways collectingbloodwormsforbait.TheDarling Ringtanks and catfish Downsproducesthebestfishingbaitonthe Despite the numerous negative impacts that  EasternSeaboardforcatchingnativefishand       OakeyCreek–habitatforcarp.Photo:NoalKuhl. thisisbecauseofthebloodworms. humanactivitieshaveplacedonthe waterways,NoalbelievessometimesmanͲ Becauseofthepopularityofbloodworms, The disappearing silver perch madestructureshavehadapositiveeffect manyfishermenregularlyvisittodigfor byprovidinghabitattosomenativefish. AlongtheUpperCondamine,thesilver them.Thisishavingagreatimpactonthe Oneexampleistheroleringtanks(farm perchisconsideredtobethemost riparianvegetationwherethebloodworms dams)playinthesurvivalofeeltailedor vulnerableofallnativefish.Althoughthey are easily located.    catfish. areinabundanceinstockedimpoundments,  

  Backin1991,therewereonlythreering tanksonOakeyCreek.Whathappenedis C P thatfishgetpumpedthroughwiththewater. atf ump (Tandanustandanus–eeltailedish catfish,jewie) ing Whenthedamsarenearingemptyyoucan Irrigationpumpsanddrains waareteaproblemforfish.Upto200 seealltheroundhollowsatthebottomof fishcanpotentiallybeextracteddailyr, nfromtheriverthrough high volume irrigation pumps. These fishotare removed from thedamsindicatingeeltailedcatfishnests.       fish   Eeltailscollectlittlepebblerocksandplace thenaturalsystemwithlittlechancetoreturntotheriver, theminthemiddlewhichhelptheeggsto effectivelybeing‘lost’fromthemainriverchannel.This situationhasamajorimpactonthehealthofnativefish stick.Theeeltailedcatfishareahardynative 4 communitiesintheMurrayͲDarlingBasin.  speciesthatthriveinfarmdams,asdosilver perch.Otherpredatoryfishareless adaptabletoringtankssowithoutthe  competition,catfishthrive. Photo:GuntherSchmida. x Mediumsizedfish,usually50cmorless Noalandhismatesusedtohavegreat x Bottomdwellersthatpreferslowmoving successfishingintheringtanks. watersofriversorcreeks x Eataquaticinsects,yabbies,molluscsandsmall Allyou’dcatchwaseeltailedcatfish.Butthey fish weretheplumpest,healthiest,fattest x Eggslaidinacirculargravelnestwhichthe lookingeeltailsyou’reeverlikelytosee. maleguardsuntiltheeggshatch  Somewereover900mmlongandyou’d x Listedas‘Endangered’inVictoria,‘Endangered Someofthemoreresilientnativefishspecies,suchas catch14or15inasessionandtakesome population’inNSWandprotectedinSA spangledperchandbonybream,areabletoliveinstorages, home.Sometimesyou’dputthemina  buttheirabilitytoreturntotheriversandcontributeto their natural community is lost. hessianbag(especiallyifyouknewtheywere      femalewithalotofeggs)andtakethem Theissueisnotnew–backasearlyas1928theInland 5 backdowntothecreekandletthemgo.Ring FisheriesOfficerofNSWrecommended: Screensshouldbe tanksareprolificsitesforeeltailedcatfish installedatallirrigationandotherpumpingplantshaving breedingontheDowns.OakeyCreekhasa notmorethanhalfaninchperforationtominimisethe destruction of fish life. largepopulationincomparisontotherestof     theMurrayͲDarlingBasinwheretheyare  prettyscarce.I’dsaytheringtanksareone  areatonurtureeeltailedcatfishtoreturn Researchiscontinuingintothe theminbignumberselsewhere. effectiveuseofscreens.  Photos:NSWDPI.  Photo:NSWDPI.

  Making connections

 Being involved with native fish Moving toward zero till Peoplecomefromallovertogetawayfrom itall.Theysetuptheircamp,theirlittledog Duringtheearlysettlement,fishingwasa TillingofthefieldsaroundDalrympleCreek andafire,it'smarvelloustobeouthere necessity as it provided a vital food source.         hascontributedtotheturbidityofthecreek awayfromtheratrace;justtheriverand Thoseinterestedinfishingonlyhadthetime waterassoilwaserodedoffpaddocksand naturetoenjoy. tocatchafeedoffish.Thesedaysfishinghas intothecreek.Recentlyfarmershavemade becameapassionformanywhonotonly changestolandmanagementpracticesand spendtimefishingbutalsoobservethe Sta zerotillisgraduallybecomingmore te of healthoftheriverandthenativefish prevalent.RayShooterobservedthatthis TheSustainable RiversriveAudit(SRA)isanongoing populations. Brian Kuhn explains: andsystematicassessmentr: ofriverhealthfor23     hasledtoclearingofthecreekwaters: ‘mod majorrivervalleysintheMDB.Environmentalerat  WestartedthefishingclubatNobbyin1988. Ithinkthatalotofthefarmersnowhave indicatorsincludehydrology,fishand e ‘ Itwasafamilyorientatedfishingclub gonetozerotill.Wellthatcertainlyhascut macroinvertebrates,whicharemonitoredandwill focusedonputtingfishbackintotheriver.It downthesiltenteringthecreek.Whenwe highlighttrendsovertime. becameevidenttherewasaneedforan usedtoplough,thewaterthatranoffthe TheCondamineValleywassurveyedin2005.The educationalprogramtoaidnativefishinthis paddockafterastormwasquitedirty.Since CondamineValleyfishcommunityandEcosystem area.Thefishcarevolunteerprogram,which weknockedoffcultivating,thewaterrunsoff HealthwereconsideredtobeinModerate wasorientatedtowardssustainablefishing, mostlyclear.Isupposeitwouldbe80%zero Condition.56%ofpredictednativespecieswere waskickedoffbytheQldDepartmentof tillinthisareanow. caughtfromthe“SlopesZone”.Alienfishwere PrimaryIndustries(QldDPI).Theyprovided widespread,andcomprisedjustoverhalffish biomass(55%). uswithbrochuresandgeneralmaterialto Escape the rat race educatethefishingpubliconthecorrectway Bonyherringwerenumerousandcarpgudgeons, ofcaringfornativefish.Theprogramwas Theriverisenjoyedbymanypeoplefor Australiansmelt,goldenperch,MurrayͲDarling proactiveͲnotjustsayingtheycouldnot activitiesincludingfishingandasaplaceto rainbowfishandspangledperchalsowere common. Three alien species, Eastern gambusia, takeafish.Furtherextensionwasprovided spendqualitytimewithfriendsandfamily.       goldfishandcarp,werecapturedfrequently bytheQldDPIinBrisbane,trainingusabout BrianKuhnrecallsitismostlyaplaceto duringthesurvey¹. fishandfishhabitat.Now,fromtimetotime relax: Icomeouthereandjustchecktheriverin generalandmakesurethateverythinglooks Atbusytimes,typicallyatEastertimeyou reasonablyhealthy.Thatispartofbeing comeouthereandtherearelotsoffamilies  involvedwithnativefish. thatcampherefortheEasterweekend.  Visions for the Condamine Thefishingpeoplewhocontributedtothis A combined approach projecthavealltalkedabouttheirhopesfor thefutureoftheCondamine.Manyfeltthey WiththehelptheCondamineAllianceand hadseensomeimprovementsbutmost FisheriesQueensland,thesetwofishing don'tfeeltheriverisashealthyyetasthey groupsapproachtheissueofsustainingfish wouldliketoseeit.Eachofthesefishers populationsintheUpperCondaminemore suggestedwaystohelptheriverandinturn systematicallythanjuststockingfingerlings helpprovidehealthyhabitatsforfish. intothewater.Bothclubshavealsobeen closelyinvolvedinhabitatrestorationworks Helping fish in tough times ontheUpperCondamine.AsNoalKuhl explains: FishingclubsincludingNobbyandDistrict Weaskedthequestion:whenweput  FishingClubandOakeyFreshwaterFish Members of the fishing and stocking groups are fingerlingsinthewaterways,isitworththe         StockingAssociationareveryactiveͲgiving involvedinrevegetatingnumerouscreeksalongwith effort?Toanswerthisquestionweneededto nativefishahandwhenneeded.Between thelocalcouncilsintheCondamine(above)aswell understandwhatthecreekswerelikebefore 2001and2009theUpperCondaminewas asfishmonitoring(below).Photos:NoalKuhl. andwhatweseetoday.Oncethechanges grippedbyoneoftheworstdroughtsin wereidentifiedwelookedatifwecould history,resultinginasignificantnumberof rectifythebadaspects.Wefoundthatalot waterholesdryingout.Thenativefish ofthevegetationhadgone.Most requiredhumaninterventiontosurvive,as importantlyploughingthebankshad BrianKuhnrecalls: reducedtheriparianzone.Thatrequired fixingsothenativefishwouldwantto Forthepast20yearstheCondamineRiver return.Oncewestartedputtingfingerlings hasbeeninaprettysadstatewithonly intothecreekinthe‘80s,wenoticedan occasionalflow.Moreoftenthannotithas increaseofnativeanimalsaswell.The beendryholes.Eighteenmonthsago,we farmersstartedtellingusthatkoalas, walkedsomeoftheriver,rescuingMurray goannasandbirds,wereappearingonthe codandputthemintomorepermanent  creekquitenoticeably.Oncerevegetation waterholes.We’vegotafewverydedicated  began,there’sbeenmajorimprovements peoplewholovefish. from1995andwhatyouseeheretoday.   You have to take the time  SamBonnerbelievesit’simportanttoteach  hisyoungrelativestorespecttheriverand  theirhistory.Samexplains:  Theyusedtocomeheretoswim.Ittookme twoorthreeseasonstostopthem.Because  thisismyareawhereIwasbroughtup,I  knowallaboutit.Ihadtodomyjob,domy duty.You’vegottokeepthemlegendsalive,  see. In our days, we had to listen. These days            it’sdifferentͲthey’rebroughtupdifferent culturenow.You’vegottogetthrough–  you’vegottotakethetimetogetthrough  themnow.  

 NoalKuhlreleasingaMurrayCodcaughtamongst Oneoftheinterpretivesignsexplainingtheworkthatisbeingdonetoimprovethehealthofthecreeksandrivers reintroducedsnags.Photosource:CondamineAlliance. oftheCondaminecatchment.Photo:GregRingwood.    Bringing back the fish a)TheDewfishDemonstrationReach TheCondamineAllianceNaturalResource ManagementGroupisundertakingthe CondamineRiverRescueProgramto rehabilitateandprotecttheCondamine Rivercatchment.Nativefishareusedasan indicatortogaugethehealthoftheriver system. TheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthorityfunded   NativeFishStrategy‘DewfishDemonstration ResnaggingatBowenvilleReserve.Photo:NoalKuhl. TheconstructionofReillysWeir.Therecent Reach’islocatedwithintheCondamine installationofafishwayonthisstructureisgiving b)Restoringfishmigration fishaccesstohabitatthathavenothadsince1936. catchment.Thisrehabilitationsiteisover Photosource:GeoffandSueReilly. 100kmlong. TwoweirsalongtheCondamineRiverwere identified as major barriers to fish passage: c)CondamineHeadwatersLandcare TheRiverRescueProgramandtheNative        Loudoun Weir and Reilly’s Weir, a historical GroupInc FishStrategyareworkinginpartnershipwith        private weir. Both weirs have prevented fish CondamineHeadwatersLandcareGroup’s landholders,localgovernmentsand        passage since their construction. In 2009 initiative‘LoveMyRiver’aimstoengagethe stakeholderstodeliverimprovedriver       both weirs had fishways retrofitted to communitytobetterunderstandthe healththroughimprovedlandusepractices       improve fish passage. The improvements to catchmentandtheriverenvironment.It likeriparianfencing,offstreamwatering,       Reilly’s Weir allow fish movement along the includesstorytelling,acatchmentcrawl, erosionandweedcontrol.Instreamworks        Condamine River during flows for the first waterͲbugtesting,waterwaymonitoring includereͲsnagging,fishwaysandcarp        time since the weir was constructed in 1936. andmore.TheinitiativecoverstheUpper control.         CondamineAreaaroundKillarney,Dalveen, FormoreinformationcontacttheMDBA Youcangetinvolvedwiththisprogramby Leyburn,MaryvaleandAllora.Formore NativeFishStrategyCoordinatoron volunteeringorprovidingfinancialsupport. informationcontactElspethCooperon (07)32390727. FormoreinformationcontactKevinGraham (07)46852096. orCondamineAllianceon0418411351.   River resources - About the Talking Fish project x NativeFishStrategyCoordinator,SouthernQueensland, TheTalkingFishprojectarosefromanincreasingrealisationthatmanydifferentgroupsof GregRingwood:(07)32390727/0423829028 people,includingfishers,Indigenouscommunities,touristsandlandholdershavedeveloped x CondamineAlliance,KevinGraham:0418411351, uniquerelationshipswiththeriversoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasin.Thereisalsothegrowing http://condaminealliance.com.au recognitionthatthehealthoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinisatrisk.Byaccessingandrecording different people’s stories about their experiences of a river, its fish and how both have changed x CondamineCatchmentManagementAssociation,                 will contribute to our collective knowledge and help shape future management decisions. These MaryͲLouGittins:(07)46666290              storiesalsohavethepotentialtogivepeopleasenseofjustwhatthesemagnificentriversand Condamine Headwaters Landcare Group Inc.: (07) 4661 9909, x         theirfishwereoncelikeͲandcouldbeagainwithongoingrehabilitationefforts. [email protected] TheTalkingFishprojectfocussedon12reacheswithinthefollowingrivers:Namoi(NSW),Upper x ChinchillaandDistrictAmateurFishingClubInc.: CondamineRiver(Qld),KatarapkoCreek(SA),UpperMurrumbidgeeRiver(NSW/ACT),CulgoaͲ POBox342ChinchillaQ4413. BalonneRivers(Qld/NSW),ParooRiver(Qld),GoulburnRiver(Vic),LowerDarlingandGreat x ChinchillaandDistrictLandcareGroupInc: Anabranch(NSW),OvensRiver(Vic),MainstemMurrayRiver(NSW/Victoria),DarlingRiver [email protected] (NSW)andTheCoorongandLowerLakes(SA). x CrowsNestHistoricalSociety:(07)46981776, TheTalkingFishprojectisastartingpointtosharelocalknowledgeandlearnedexperiencewith [email protected] otherstoimprovethehealthoftheMurray–DarlingBasin.Projectinformationisavailableat: x OakeyFreshwaterFishStockingAssociation www.mdba.gov.au. PO Box 262, Oakey Qld 4401       Note:ThetermTalkingFishisalsobeingusedbytheAustralianRiverRestorationCentreasawayofsharing x NobbyandDistrictFishingClubInc.: knowledgeaboutpeople’sconnectiontofishandwaterways. [email protected]. References x NortheastDownsLandcareGroupsInc.:0427024921, 1.Davies,P.E.,Harris,J.H.,Hillman,T.J.andWalker,KF2008SRAReport1:AReportontheEcologicalHealthofRivers [email protected] intheMurray–DarlingBasin,2004–2007,Canberra:Murray–DarlingBasinMinisterialCouncil. x ToowoombaHistoricalSociety:(07)46387362, 2.Biggs,A.andCarey,B.,2006.TheCondamineCatchment.QueenslandNaturalResourcesandWaterCatchment [email protected] SeriesFactSheet.QNRM05066,2pages. x NationalLibraryAustralia:www.nla.gov.au 3.Potter,C.;Moles,S.;Connors.L,andPostle,Pam,2002.ConversationsontheCondamine–Anoralhistoryfromthe Queensland Murray Darling Basin. Envirobook, Australia, 128 pages. x WarwickDistrictRecreationalFishStockingAssociation:  Ͳ       [email protected] 4.http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/water/regulation/river_improve_trust.html  5.http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/wetlandinfo/resources/static/pdf/conceptualͲmodelͲcaseͲstudies/Dewfish.pdf Abbreviations  DEEDI DepartmentofEmploymentEconomicDevelopment Allfishfactboxes:Lintermans,M.2007FishesoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasin:Anintroductoryguide,Canberra:MurrayͲ andInnovation(Qld) DarlingBasinCommission. DPI DepartmentofPrimaryIndustries MDBA MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority  Some fish of the Upper Condamine region

Goldenperch/Yellowbelly/Callop Hyrtl’scatfish/Moonfish/YellowͲfinned  catfish

   Spangledperch/Bobbycod Catfish/Eeltailcatfish/Jewfish Yabby/Craybob  scale)  to  Native

(Not    Silverperch/Murraybream/Grunter Murraycod/Cod 

 

 EuropeanCarp/Commoncarp Goldfish   scale)  to  Introduced (Not