General News
30 June, 2021
Electrofishing draws a crowd
LOCAL anglers were amongst a group to watch an electrofishing demonstration at Curdievale over the weekend.
LOCAL anglers were amongst a group to watch an electrofishing demonstration at Curdievale over the weekend.
More than 60 recreational anglers and enthusiastic community members gathered to witness an electrofishing demonstration on the Curdies Estuary.
The electrofishing survey was conducted over the weekend to see what species were present in the Curdies Estuary.
The survey monitored 10 kilometres of the river north and south of Curdievale.
This data will then be compared with a second survey to be completed in a few years’ time to measure the benefits of the fishhabitat works.
OzFish state program manager for Victoria Ben Cleveland said electrofishing was a key method for sampling fish worldwide.
“Electrofishing surveys help us to get a better understanding of the local “fishy” river residents and provide baseline data for monitoring restoration efforts,” he said.
“It involves an electrical current being delivered through the water, which temporarily stuns the fish and enables them to be collected, measured and then returned to the water safely.”
The habitat restoration project was delivered in partnership between the Corangamite CMA, OzFish Unlimited and VR Fish.
This project was supported by the Corangamite CMA through funding from the Australian Government’s Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program.