The Ramsar Convention's resources on Wetland Restoration

The STRP Expert Working Group on Wetland Restoration

Restoration Approach: Control of impact of feral fish in wetlands

Wetland Type: Permanent floodplain wetlands impacted by dominance of feral fish.

Background: Changed water regimes have greatly reduced flood frequency, volume and duration, and introduced stable permanent water levels. These conditions favour introduced fish at the expense of native fish species. Introduced European carp are the dominant fish biomass in all rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia. By introducing drying cycles into permanent wetlands, and screening out adult fish when the wetland is re-filled, the dominance of carp can be greatly reduced. At the same time, conditions become more favourable to native fish.

Rehabilitation projects are identifying opportunities to install flow control structures with fish screens on drowned wetlands in the river system. Demonstration projects illustrate the negative effect of carp on a wetland.

Advantages: Uses natural processes to restore wetland biodiversity; quick local response in wetland health is visible to community and funding bodies.

Disadvantages: Limited to wetlands where installation of control structures is practical; need ongoing management and monitoring for most effective results.

Further information:  Wetland Care Australia web site www.wetlandcare.com.au  for case studies and wetland rehabilitation techniques

Rehabilitation References

de Jong, M (1997). Register of Wetland Restoration Projects in Australia and New Zealand. For the Specialist Group on Wetland Restoration. South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Wetlands International. The Department: Adelaide.

Jensen, A (1999). ‘Wetland Rehabilitation in Australasia.’ In Streever, W (Ed) An International Perspective on Wetland Rehabilitation, 19-28. Kluwer Academic Publishers: The Netherlands.

Jensen, A, Lloyd, L & Bennett, M (1994). ‘Rehabilitation Techniques for Wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin.’ In Sharley, T & Huggan, C (Eds) (1994). Murray-Darling Basin Floodplain Wetlands Management. Proceedings of the Floodplain Wetlands Management Workshop, Albury NSW 20-22 October 1992. Murray-Darling Basin Commission: Canberra.

Jensen, A, Paton, P, Mowbray, T, Simpson, D, Kinnear, S & Nichols, S (1996). Wetlands Atlas of the South Australian Murray Valley. A summary of current knowledge of Murray Valley wetlands as a basis for integrated catchment management. SA River Murray Wetlands Management Committee. Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Adelaide.

Seaman, R (1998). Register of Wetland Restoration Projects in Australia and New Zealand. Second edition. For the Specialist Group on Wetland Restoration. South Australian Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs and Wetlands International. The Department: Adelaide.

Streever, W J (1997). 'Trends in Australian Wetland Rehabilitation'. In Streever, W J (Ed) Wetland Rehabilitation in Australia. Wetlands Ecology and Management 5:5-18.

Streever, W J (1998). ‘Australian Wetland Rehabilitation.’ In Jensen A (Ed) Keeping Wetlands Alive. Proceedings of Wetland Care Australia seminar, Renmark 25 July 1997. Wetland Care Australia: Barmera, South Australia.

-- Contributed by Stephen Hunter and Anne Jensen

Return to STRP Wetland Restoration index page

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ). Posted 8 January 2001, updated 15 February 2002, Bill Streever and Dwight Peck.