Rescued Fish Head Home To The Hills

December 4, 2007

Release from: Lorna Edwards
The Age (Australia)

A critically endangered alpine fish has returned home to its high country stream after being plucked out last year to escape the Great Divide fires.

About 450 barred galaxias from seven of the 18 remaining populations were removed from the wild last year and kept in aquariums at the Department of Sustainability and Environment's research facility, the Arthur Rylah Institute.

The drastic measure was taken to protect the species, already under threat from drought and predation, from the aftermath of the bushfires.

The bright orange native fish, found only in Victorian alpine areas, has been the focus of conservation efforts for two decades.

"Fish species are able to survive the direct impact of a fire but the worry comes afterwards when you have a lot of ash that can wash into the river, as the ash strips the oxygen out of the water and that's what kills the fish," said DSE freshwater ecologist Tarmo Raadik.