Showing papers in "Ecological Management and Restoration in 2014"

Fish passage in the Murray‐Darling Basin, Australia: Not just an upstream battle

Abstract: Summary Construction of instream barriers, preventing fish from accessing spawning, nursery and feeding habitat, is a major issue impacting fisheries sustainability throughout the world. Since European settlement, development in the Murray-Darling Basin for irrigation and potable water supplies has led to the construction of over 10,000 barriers to fish movement. The Native Fish Strategy listed fish passage as a major driving action and was proactive in progressing cost-effective solutions to help inform large-scale rehabilitation programmes. The strategy identified a list of high-priority barriers for mitigation works based on feedback from jurisdictional agencies. Research initiatives were then implemented, with measurable outcomes, to help address key knowledge gaps. Research demonstrated that a project to restore passage to the Murray River main channel was meeting all ecological and engineering objectives. Follow-on work identified low-cost mechanisms to improve the effectiveness of existing fishways without compromising ecological functionality. The Native Fish Strategy was also explicit in addressing fish passage issues at irrigation infrastructure and wetland regulators. Work to minimise these impacts included quantifying the scale of irrigation-associated infrastructure and also optimising screen designs to be retrofitted to pump systems to prevent fish entrainment. Options to enhance lateral movement were also identified. The objective of this study is to summarise the fish passage issues progressed by the Native Fish Strategy to develop basin-wide solutions to enhance fish passage over the long term.

Review of cold water pollution in the Murray–Darling Basin and the impacts on fish communities

Abstract: Summary The release of water from deep below the surface of large dams causes significant disturbance to water temperature regimes in downstream river channels with consequent impacts upon aquatic biota and river health. The Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) has a large number of dams, which are known to cause cold water pollution (CWP) in the downstream reaches of the impounded rivers. This study reviews the situation with regard to CWP in the MDB including the location, magnitude and extent of temperature suppression, the impacts upon fish, constraints and progress towards ameliorating the problem.

Flows for native fish in the Murray‐Darling Basin: lessons and considerations for future management

Abstract: Increased regulation and extraction of water from rivers has contributed to the decline of fishes, and the use of environmental water allocations (EWAs) is now a key rehabilitation measure. Major reform of water policy in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Australia, has recently provided significant EWAs to improve ecological outcomes. Conflict over water buybacks, the value of the water and the need to maximise environmental benefits and minimise risks of unwanted outcomes has increased the expectation for science to underpin and justify such actions. Recent research has focussed attention on the need to understand fish–flow relationships. The Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin 2003–2013 (NFS), while not specifically targeted at water policy reform or water delivery, has provided fish ecology research and flow restoration experimentation and contributed considerable new scientific knowledge to support flow management. It has contributed to a substantial and positive change in environmental watering for fish, with native fish targets now regularly incorporated into watering objectives. This study documents changes to water management in the MDB, summarises current knowledge of flow-related fish ecology in the MDB, highlights the benefits and risks of some water management practises and provides recommendations for future management and research. A major recommendation is the need for a coordinated, cross-jurisdictional approach to flow restoration for native fish, ensuring that the best available science is being used in all watering allocations. We caution on the use of environmental works such as regulators to artificially inundate floodplains and suggest that such approaches should be viewed as large-scale experiments with the significant risks posed to fish needing to be recognised, adequately monitored and adaptively managed.

Eradication of cats (Felis catus) from subantarctic Macquarie Island

Abstract: Summary The feral Cat (Felis catus) population on Macquarie Island was targeted for eradication between 1996 and 2002, with 761 cats captured during this period. After 22 years of cat control from 1974 integrated with control programmes for other pests, effort intensified for 2 years before a dedicated eradication programme began in 1998. The primary knock-down for the eradication used cage trapping and shooting, with most surviving cats captured with leg-hold traps. A total of 6298 field days and 216 574 trap nights were recorded in this operation. Factors contributing to the success of the programme included extensive planning, increased staff numbers at critical times, better access to remote areas of the island, introduction of leg-hold traps, sufficient operational funding and good collaboration between government agencies operating on the island. The programme would have benefited from earlier deployment of detector dogs and better posteradication monitoring of a broader range of native species impacted by cats. The successful eradication of cats from Macquarie Island, being the second largest achieved to date, provides valuable experience for cat eradication attempts on other large remote islands. This programme relied on ground-based techniques with minimal use of poisons and provides possible options for sites where broad-scale poisoning, or where aerial distribution of poisons, cannot be used.

The effects of light and noise from urban development on biodiversity: Implications for protected areas in Australia

Abstract: Summary Global population growth and associated urban development are having profound effects on biodiversity. Two major outcomes of expanding development that affect wildlife are light and noise pollution. In this paper, we review literature reporting the effects of light and noise on biodiversity, and assess implications for conservation planning in Australia. Our results clearly indicate that light and noise pollution have the potential to affect the physiology, behaviour and reproduction of a range of animal taxa. Types of effects include changes in foraging and reproductive behaviours, reduction in animal fitness, increased risk of predation and reduced reproductive success. These could have flow-on consequences at the population and ecosystem levels. We found a significant gap in knowledge of the impact of these pollutants on Australian fauna. To reduce the effect of light and noise pollution, there needs to be careful planning of urban areas in relation to protected areas, and for biodiversity more generally. Potential measures include strategically planning the types of development and associated human activities adjacent to protected areas, and the use of shields and barriers, such as covers for lights or the use of dense native vegetation screens, while still allowing movement of animals. Changes in government standards and regulations could also help to reduce the impacts of light and noise pollution.

Seedling emergence and summer survival after direct seeding for woodland restoration on old fields in south‐western Australia

Abstract: Restoration opportunities provided by an emerging carbon market have largely focused on large‐scale woodland restoration projects. Gondwana Link is one such project operating in a 1000‐km corridor in south‐western Australia. We identified environmental factors affecting the success of woody‐species restoration at a dry‐woodland Gondwana Link site, Peniup, by relating the emergence and survival of 1522 seedlings to abiotic and biotic variables, including soil conditions and weed cover. We found soil conditions were highly variable across the site and, together with the dry Mediterranean‐climate summer, affected seedling emergence and summer survival. Seedling emergence was higher in sandy soils, but summer survival was higher in clay soils. Most of the seedlings that emerged and survived the summer were in either the Fabales or Myrtaceae family. We concluded that attempts to analyse restoration outcomes that do not consider how the influence of primary abiotic and biotic factors changes over time may mask the mechanisms driving seedling establishment.

Seagrass rehabilitation off metropolitan Adelaide: a case study of loss, action, failure and success

Abstract: Heavy losses of 6200 ha of seagrass off the Adelaide metropolitan coast since 1949 have had substantial implications for beach management, fisheries and biodiversity. Here, we describe for managers some promising initial trials to develop a cost-effective method to rehabilitate some of these lost seagrasses.

Ecological connectivity or Barrier Fence? Critical choices on the agricultural margins of Western Australia

Abstract: Western Australia's State Barrier Fence represents a continuation of colonial era attitudes that considered kangaroos, emus and dingoes as ‘vermin’. Recent plans to upgrade and extend the Barrier Fence have shown little regard for ecological impacts or statutory environmental assessment processes.

Laying the foundations for fish recovery: The first 10 years of the Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Abstract: The Native Fish Strategy aimed to return fish populations in Australia's largest (1 million square kilometre) river basin from an estimated 10 to 60% of pre-European settlement levels after 50 years of implementation. While funding for implementation of this programme has now ceased (despite native fish remaining in a poor state), the achievements of the Strategy's first 10 years provide a solid basis for implementing the work necessary to rehabilitate native fish populations in the future.

Does lethal control of top-predators release mesopredators? A re-evaluation of three Australian case studies

Abstract: Top-predators can sometimes be important for structuring fauna assemblages in terrestrial ecosystems. Through a complex trophic cascade, the lethal control of top-predators has been predicted to elicit positive population responses from mesopredators that may in turn increase predation pressure on prey species of concern. In support of this hypothesis, many relevant research papers, opinion pieces and literature reviews identify three particular case studies as supporting evidence for top-predator control-induced release of mesopredators in Australia. However, many fundamental details essential for supporting this hypothesis are missing from these case studies, which were each designed to investigate alternative aims. Here, we re-evaluate the strength of evidence for top-predator control-induced mesopredator release from these three studies after comprehensive analyses of associated unpublished correlative and experimental data. Circumstantial evidence alluded to mesopredator releases of either the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) or feral Cat (Felis catus) coinciding with Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) control in each case. Importantly, however, substantial limitations in predator population sampling techniques and/or experimental designs preclude strong assertions about the effect of lethal control on mesopredator populations from these studies. In all cases, multiple confounding factors and plausible alternative explanations for observed changes in predator populations exist. In accord with several critical reviews and a growing body of demonstrated experimental evidence on the subject, we conclude that there is an absence of reliable evidence for top-predator control-induced mesopredator release from these three case studies. Well-designed and executed studies are critical for investigating potential top-predator control-induced mesopredator release.

Putting it back: Woody debris in young restoration plantings to stimulate return of reptiles

Abstract: Summary: Despite active investment in restoration, some habitat features can be slow to develop on formerly degraded land and can consequently pose persistent barriers to the re-establishment of specialist species. Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a critical resource for a whole suite of animal taxa but remains an underappreciated component of some forest ecosystems and restoration activities. The extent to which recovery of animal communities can be accelerated through artificial supplementation of woody debris is poorly understood especially for highly diverse tropical forest systems. Here, we report early results from an experiment designed to manipulate CWD in young restoration plantings (0-7 year old) in tropical north-east Australia for the purposes of facilitating re-establishment of rainforest reptiles. After 1 year, we demonstrate that CWD addition within restoration plantings adjacent to remnant forest can increase the local abundance of reptiles and promote colonisation of the log-specialist Prickly Skink (Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae). These preliminary results, however, are based on observations of just 44 individual reptiles encompassing seven species. Ongoing monitoring will elucidate longer-term outcomes to enable a proper evaluation of when and where CWD addition might be most beneficial in realising restoration goals.

Thirty years of vegetation dynamics in response to a fluctuating rabbit population on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island

Abstract: Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island is presently undergoing one of the most ambitious vertebrate pest eradication programmes ever undertaken. The anticipated success of this programme will release the island's tundra-like vegetation from well over a century of grazing and disturbance from House Mouse ( Mus musculus ), Ship Rat ( Rattus rattus ) and most significantly European Rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ). This study describes results from 30 years of vegetation quadrat monitoring (prior to the most recent and comprehensive pest eradication programme) when lower level pest animal control programmes were underway. Plant species were assigned to one of five distinct functional plant groups: Indigenous short-lived perennials, Introduced short-lived perennials, Indigenous perennials rarely grazed by rabbits, Indigenous perennials occasionally grazed by rabbits and Indigenous long-lived perennials heavily grazed by rabbits, with one species, Agrostis magellanica , analysed as a sixth monospecific group. Results from monthly rabbit counts were used to compare changes in abundance of these six groups under different rabbit populations. It was found that there were three distinct phases of rabbit activity during the study period, indicated by (i) an initial very high count year in 1980-1981, followed by (ii) 20 years of low counts ending in 2001-2002 after which (iii) counts rose to medium/high until the commencement of the eradication programme in 2010-2011. Vegetation composition and progression were distinct for these three rabbit count phases. The first four of the plant functional groups decreased under lower count periods and increased in cover under higher rabbit count periods. Agrostis magellanica appears to respond primarily to interspecies competition and is disadvantaged under extended periods of low rabbit numbers. Indigenous long-lived perennials heavily grazed by rabbits, which includes the large tussocks and megaherbs, is inversely related to rabbit numbers. During the study period, there has also been an overall decline in plant species richness with average species count per quadrat falling by between 0.6 and 2.7 taxa. This study attempts to address the observed vegetation change from this long-term monitoring, to discuss other potential contributing factors and to use the results to predict likely future vegetation changes after eradication of vertebrate pests.

The future for managing recreational fisheries in the Murray‐Darling Basin

Abstract: Sustainable management of natural resources requires robust and timely information inputs, particularly in multispecies or cross-jurisdictional fisheries such as the Murray-Darling Basin's (MDB) recreational fishery. Innovative data collection and monitoring approaches, management tools and cooperative efforts enable the requirements of fisheries managers to be met efficiently and cost-effectively. This paper considers a number of pioneering initiatives operationalised under the Native Fish Strategy that have helped inform sustainable management outcomes for the recreational fishery in the MDB.

Application of the BioCondition assessment framework to mine vegetation rehabilitation

Abstract: Summary A quantitative ‘scorecard’ is essential to provide both mine regulators and managers with a robust way of assessing what is ‘good’ vegetation rehabilitation and whether it is adequate to satisfy the regulatory and legal requirements of mine closure criteria and community expectations. The BioCondition framework (Eyre et al. 2011a, http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/ecosystems/biodiversity/biocondition.html) was applied as a scorecard to evaluate vegetation rehabilitation using largely locally native species at Meandu coal mine in Southeast Queensland. Benchmarks for vegetation condition attributes were developed from an amalgam of local reference vegetation types. To allow the appropriate, rather than aspirational evaluation of restoration for sites that were < 50 years old, the scoring system was adjusted to exclude the large trees and coarse woody debris attributes. Bearing in mind that assumptions of self-sustainability will depend on the ‘fit’ of species to the local condition and the ongoing management of the communities, the use of spider web diagrams assists mine managers and regulators to clearly see where future management intervention can increase the BioCondition score.

Co-benefits of planting species mixes in carbon projects

Abstract: The carbon market offers a unique opportunity to achieve large‐scale ecological restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes. Here, we outline some of the benefits of planting mixes of native species rather than monocultures in carbon plantings as a step towards creating biodiverse carbon‐rich forests and woodlands in Australia. We highlight the gaps in our knowledge and emphasise the importance of setting benchmarks for carbon projects to maximise their potential to deliver co‐benefits such as habitat provision for wildlife. On the whole, we are optimistic that ongoing refinement of joined biodiversity conservation and carbon credit initiatives will help to develop a carbon market that can drive ecological restoration of Australian agricultural landscapes.

Holocene vertebrate fossils aid the management and restoration of Australian ecosystems

Abstract: Summary European-settlement-related impacts over the past 200 years pose many challenges for the conservation and restoration of Australia's ecosystems. Landscape modification, associated habitat loss and the introduction of exotic species have caused the extinction and mainland extirpation of numerous vertebrates. This process happened so quickly that many species became locally or functionally extinct before their presence was documented. A growing body of research on Holocene fossil accumulations is providing insights into the composition and biogeography of Australian ecosystems prior to European settlement. This review explores the similarities between palaeo- and neo-ecology and how Holocene (last 10,000 years) assemblages can be used by neo-ecologists, conservation managers and policy makers to identify and fill gaps in knowledge and contribute to the management and restoration of Australia's degraded ecosystems.

Extinction debt of cities and ways to minimise their realisation: a focus on Melbourne

Abstract: The formation and growth of cities sets in train a slow process of local species extinction, although it can take a long time for that extinction to be realised. Using Melbourne as an example, the authors ask ‘What plant species are potentially at risk and what strategies and actions could minimise the predicted negative outcomes?’

Camera trap surveys to evaluate pest animal control operations

Abstract: Summary Many camera trap surveys aiming to detect the effects of management actions on pest animal populations are not as useful as they could be, because they do not produce informative results. We used mixed effects models, signed ranks tests and occupancy models to examine changes in the activity and occurrence of European red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) in areas subjected to repeated fox management operations. In agricultural land, mixed effects models identified a decline in fox activity after baiting in 1 year, but not the next. Occupancy models revealed a decrease in fox occurrence in a National Park following control operations. These methods, combined with appropriate survey designs, could greatly enhance the value of many pest animal surveys conducted by management agencies.

The illusion of nature: perception and the reality of natural landscapes, as illustrated by vertebrate fauna in the Northern Territory, Australia

Abstract: Biomass figures are compared for common native vertebrate species and common non-native vertebrate species (including fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species) across the Northern Territory, an area of ostensibly, largely unmodified natural system. The total biomass of the considered non-native species very substantially surpasses that of the common native vertebrate species considered; hence, the perception that this is a largely intact natural system is, to some extent, an illusion. This preponderance of biomass of non-native species may help explain the increasing evidence of ecosystem stress and decline of native species. An integrity index based on the relative biomass of native and non-native species may provide insight into the status and trends of ecological systems across different regions.

The role of governance in delivery of natural resource management programmes - a case study involving the restoration of freshwater fish communities in the Murray-Darling Basin

Abstract: Summary Good governance is crucial in the effective management of complex natural resources issues. There are many elements of effective governance, with recent work proposing eight principles relevant to natural resource management. In this study, we consider the Native Fish Strategy (NFS) – a long-term plan for restoration and protection of native fish in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) – as a case study to explore how these eight principles supported the programme’s governance, and in particular, outcomes achieved for stakeholder engagement, knowledge generation and programme delivery. We present a scalable governance model derived from the examined case study, which we believe effectively, links science, management and community participation and would be useful for tackling natural resource management problems at a range of scales in other situations.

Interactions between almond plantations and native ecosystems: Lessons learned from north‐western Victoria

Abstract: Five years of research on interrelationships between fauna use of almond plantations and native vegetation in north-western Victoria shows that almond plantations have a strong influence on fauna dynamics and in some cases may provide important habitat for threatened species.

Mortality of native grasses after a summer fire in natural temperate grassland suggests ecosystem instability

Abstract: Summary: The exclusion of regular fire and the introduction of livestock grazing have altered native grassland composition on Victoria's volcanic plains, commonly resulting in spear-grass and wallaby-grass pastures replacing Kangaroo Grass grasslands. The effect of reintroducing fire to these pastures is currently unknown, although it may be an important part of restoring this ecosystem. We measured the changes in basal area of the dominant grasses in a mixed Spear-grass/Wallaby-grass pastures after a summer wildfire, which we assume burnt a relatively homogenous grass sward. We found a 90-95% reduction in the basal area of live spear-grass tussocks in burnt plots compared with unburned controls, due to the mortality of tussocks. This suggests that caution and structured experimentation should be applied when using fire to manage spear-grass-dominated grasslands. © 2014 Ecological Society of Australia.

Demonstration reaches: Looking back whilst moving forward with river rehabilitation under the Native Fish Strategy

Abstract: ‘Demonstration reaches’ are sections of river where multiple threats to native fish are addressed through river rehabilitation and strong community participation. They are an important way of promoting the key driving actions of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's Native Fish Strategy (NFS) by using on-ground community-driven rehabilitation. Measuring rehabilitation success against well-defined targets and using this information to adaptively mange activities is fundamental to the demonstration reach philosophy. Seven years on from the establishment of the first demonstration reach, there are now seven throughout the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), all in differing states of maturation and but all applying a standardised framework for monitoring native fish outcomes. In this study, we reflect on the role that demonstration reaches have played within the NFS, synthesise some key findings from 32 monitoring and evaluation outputs, and highlight some of the successes and barriers to success. We make recommendations as to how to strengthen the demonstration reach model to ensure it remains a relevant approach for fish habitat rehabilitation beyond the NFS and MDB.

Do we know enough about vegetation dynamics to manage fire regimes in central Australia

Abstract: Summary Ecologists have long been concerned that contemporary fire regimes of central Australia have poor consequences for some plant species, vegetation communities and the native animals they support. Fire frequency, size and intensity (the ‘fire regime’) have all been implicated in the decline of native biota and in vegetation changes that potentially constitute ecological drift. However, not all perceived declines and changes are quantified or proven. The fire regimes themselves defy quantification and are arguably unknowable. We examine the relationships between fire, vegetation and the physical landscape and consider the adequacy of available knowledge for guiding fire management. Devising targeted ‘fire management regimes’, which take into account vegetation type and management objectives such as pastoral production, conservation and cultural observance, and which actively use fire to achieve those objectives, is a more realistic goal than controlling unquantifiable fire regimes in spatially diverse landscapes.

Reconstructing grassy understories in south‐eastern Australia: Interview with Paul Gibson‐Roy

Abstract: A marriage of ecology with agronomy is proving successful in restoring diverse herbaceous layers - to the extent that some reconstructed grasslands on ex-agricultural land and rural roadsides have been found eligible for federal protection as threatened ecological communities. Can lessons from this improve our management and expansion of grassy ecosystems more broadly?

Management of alien fishes in the Murray‐Darling Basin

Abstract: Summary Native Fish Strategy 2003–2013 (NFS) investment over the past decade has considerably improved alien fish management for the Murray-Darling Basin. The NFS delivered a wide and varied portfolio of activities on alien fish management – planning, social aspects, on-ground management and a major investment in research. Control of Carp (Cyprinus carpio) was a key feature; however approaches moved beyond this one species to address multiple species and to take a more holistic approach, advocating integrated pest management and linking alien fish with native fish management and broader river rehabilitation. The NFS provided leadership for the management of alien fish in the Basin and established a framework to guide future efforts in this field through the development of a draft Basin Alien Fish Plan.

Do arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi recolonize revegetated grasslands

Abstract: Summary: Fifteen native and common exotic herbaceous species from four functional groups (C4 grass, C3 grass, chamaephyte and hemicryptophyte) occurring within remnant and revegetated grassland and grassy woodlands were sampled for evidence of structures associated with functioning arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) from across a broad geographical range of central and south-western Victoria, Australia. Revegetated communities had been established on ex-agricultural land by direct seeding. They included sites that had been kept fallow with herbicide for up to 3 years prior to seeding and those from which topsoil had been removed (scalped) to a depth of 100 mm prior to seeding. Structures associated with AMF (external and internal aseptate hyphae, arbuscules and vesicles) were observed in root samples from all native and exotic species, regardless of site history (remnant or revegetated; fallowed or scalped). These findings indicate that AMF are ubiquitous in the herbaceous flora of this region (native and exotic), even in situations where sites had been intensively disturbed prior to revegetation treatment. However, while there was evidence of AMF in all revegetated communities, only sites which had been scalped prior to direct seeding supported species-rich native herbaceous communities. © 2014 Ecological Society of Australia.

Effective engagement of the Native Fish Strategy is delivered by coordinated and contextual effort

Abstract: Key distinguishing features of the Native Fish Strategy were genuine, targeted partnerships and effective, planned engagement that aimed to inform, involve and empower relevant stakeholders. Engagement programmes were developed and coordinated at a Basin-wide scale, but diverse engagement activities were adapted and implemented in a local context by dedicated coordinators.

Managing fish species under threat: case studies from the Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Abstract: Summary The Native Fish Strategy (NFS) for Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin was specifically targeted at managing and rehabilitating an entire fish community Over half of the native fishes (24 of 44 known species) and four fish communities of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) are listed as threatened at either national or state level One of six ‘Driving Actions’ under the NFS focused on protecting threatened native fish species, and this study reviews a series of NFS case studies during and immediately after the Millennium Drought (1997–2010) which was south-eastern Australia’s worst drought on record Fish rescues, breeding programmes, the creation of an emergency response contingency fund, and expert panels and workshops were all projects that contributed significantly to conserving threatened fishes The diversity of approaches taken and lessons learned are highlighted, to formulate future directions for threatened fish recovery

The future for managing fishes in the Murray‐Darling Basin, south‐eastern Australia

Abstract: There are few places in the world where concerns over the decline of freshwater ecosystems and their fishes are more apparent than in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), south-eastern Australia. The rivers of the MDB are in poor condition, and fish populations were estimated to be at 10% of pre-European levels (Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2004), with many species considered of conservation concern (Lintermans 2007). Issues regarding fish in the MDB are not new; concerns for popular commercial species such as Murray Cod were first documented over 100 years ago (Dannevig 1903), and by the late 1970s, threats to MDB fishes had been clearly identified (Cadwallader 1978). While early concerns were largely regarding commercial fisheries, the great importance of angling (Henry & Lyle 2003) and the associated socio-economic values and benefits to the recreational fishery of the MDB ($1.35 Billion direct expenditure per annum: Ernst & Young 2011), along with serious conservation concerns, are now paramount. By 2000, there was a growing sense of urgency to rehabilitate fish populations before it was too late, and this culminated in the development of the Native Fish Strategy (NFS) (Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2004), with an emphasis on rehabilitation rather than just sustainable management. Such efforts were needed to protect and restore all fishes, including those key species targeted by recreational fishers. In its first decade (2003–2013), the NFS fundamentally changed fish management in the MDB (Koehn & Lintermans 2012). This included major advances in research and management practices and advocating an overarching and achievable restoration goal to: rehabilitate native fish communities of the Basin back to 60% of their estimated pre-European levels after 50 years of implementation. This was reinforced by engagement of the community and recognition that this would take several decades to deliver. Some key achievements included the following: 1 Development, testing and implementation of one of the world’s largest fish passage programmes from Lake Hume to the Sea.