Hopes fish passageway will prevent mass kill ahead of hot, dry summer

The fishway at Menindee has reopened for its last season of a three-year trial, with hopes that up to 50,000 fish will pass through it before late May. Concerns have arisen due to low water levels, poor water quality, and algal bloom alerts in the lakes and river. The Basin Plan Review Panel will assess the findings after consulting with water users, holders, and communities along the river.

The fishway, operated by Finnish company Fishheart, aims to prevent another potential fish kill like the one in 2023 when around 30 million fish perished in the area. The passageway has already seen increasing numbers of fish, with the first season yielding 7,000 fish and the second around 30,000. Fishheart co-founder Mika Sohlberg attributes this growth to a better understanding of the river and improved technology.

The fishway has reopened as the Menindee Lakes are at 29 percent capacity, facing low rainfall and algal bloom alerts. Cameron Lay, director of Freshwater Fisheries and Threatened Species at NSW DPIRD, acknowledges the risks posed by fish concentrating in the Menindee weir pool but believes the fishway can help mitigate these risks by allowing fish to move into the lake system and further up the Darling River.

The primary concern remains the potential for a hot, dry summer, which could exacerbate the risk of mass fish kills. While the fishway is a crucial part of the solution, Lay emphasizes the need to address other factors, such as water temperature, quality, and habitat, to ensure a healthy river system. The fishway's future depends on the outcomes of the Basin Plan Review, which will be released in December.