Fishing industry]]> Fisheries]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Sustainable fisheries]]> River engineering]]> Water quality]]> Water resources]]> Fishes--Breeding]]>
Born in 1941, Henry is a sixth generation commercial fisher, and also ran a yabby restaurant for thirty years. He talks about learning to fish from his father, a commercial fisherman at Renmark, in the Riverland; and his grandfather, a First World War veteran. Henry is a member of the Community Stakeholder Taskforce for the Murray-Darling Basin Native Fish Strategy. His commercial licence covers Lake Albert, Lake Alexandrina, Coorong, and the Great Southern Ocean three nautical miles out from Goolwa to Kingston.

Henry talks about: his fishery's World First Environmental Management Plan and Marine Stewardship; the difference between fishing methods/equipment in the Riverland compared with the windy conditions of the Lakes, Coorong and ocean; sustainable fishing practice; effects of water over allocation (upstream); the lack of intermediate floods from the Murray and Darling, affecting the breeding cycle of fish; salt from irrigation; hypersalinity of Coorong, and possible solutions; the closure of the Murray mouth in 1981; counting bird species; and the increase of seals, sting ray, barnacles, and tube worm in the Coorong (now a marine environment); 1992 flood; plant species.

Other fish species mentioned: 'bull nosed mullet'.
]]> CC-BY]]> ]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Connection to Country]]> Cultural flows]]> Dreaming (Spiritual)]]> Aboriginal kinship systems]]> Riparian areas--Management]]> Floods]]> Dams]]> Weirs]]> Cotton]]> Water allocations]]> Fishes--Migration]]> Fishes--Cannibalism]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Yuwaalaraay / Euahlayi / Yuwaaliyaay language ]]> Environmental flows]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Aboriginal spirituality]]> Water--Symbolic aspects]]> Siltation]]> Wetlands]]>
Michael explains the cultural and spiritual importance of the river systems to Indigenous peoples, delving into the history, language and stories of his Ualarai people. The changes in the fish population, and the traditional practices of his people that were implicit in the flourishing of the basin prior to colonisation.

Mentioned: water rat, mud crab.

]]> CC-BY]]> Irrigation]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Introduced species]]> Wetlands]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Geomorphology]]> Riparian areas]]> Billabongs]]> Floodplains]]> Fish habitat improvement]]> Environmental flows]]> Fishing industry]]> Physical characteristics (Animals)]]>
John Koehn is a research officer for the Arthur Rylah Institute, Melbourne, and studies freshwater fish ecology. John Douglas works for Victorian Fisheries, and Roy Patterson is a Taungurung man.

John Koehn talks about: his work recovering Catfish and Silver Perch populations in the Murray-Darling Basin, 2000; a commercial fishery that existed at Barren Box when Catfish abundant; drivers of Catfish decline; strengths and weakness of different fish species; impact of irrigation releases on water flow e.g. Murray River; impact of European carp on billabongs and lagoons; carp removal; importance of billabongs, floodplains, wetlands in the Murray-Darling system, their loss and degradation from human activities; importance of ‘active’ ecological management; geomorphology; importance of 'instability' in creating diverse habitats for fish species; changes in vegetation e.g. Phragmite (Common Reed).

The group add their diverse knowledge to the topics discussed, in particular the variety of Catfish species found across the Murray-Darling Basin.]]> CC BY]]> ]]> Maryborough, Vic [populated place]]]> Torrumbarry Weir, NSW [dam]]]> Eulo, Qld [populated place]]]> Albury, NSW [populated place]]]> Alexandra, Vic [populated place]]]> Barren Box Swamp, NSW [swamp]]]>
An archival version of the Talking Fish Collection is managed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive (ATSIDA).]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Floods]]> Droughts]]> Riparian areas]]> Environmental flows]]> Ecotourism]]> Ecological sustainability]]>
Kevin and Fern talk about: changes they have seen at Hollands Creek over decades; droughts and recent floods in Tatong; force of flood waters on habitat e.g. rock, tree deposits; new habitats and flows created by floods; eco-preservation and eco-tourism; Hollands Creek Demonstration Reach.

Mention of unspecified fish species: trout, galaxias.
]]> CC BY]]> Tatong, Vic [populated place]]]> Hollands Creek, Vic [stream]]]> Family life]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Diet]]> Fishing nets]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Introduced fishes]]> Droughts]]> Weirs]]> Environmental flows]]> Physical characteristics (Animals)]]> Intensive farming]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Connection to Country]]>
Richard is a Ngiyampaa Aboriginal man residing in Wodonga, Victoria. Born in 1959, Richard grew up on the Lachlan River in central New South Wales with his family and currently works with the Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in the Wodonga area.

In this document, Richard discusses the changes he has observed in native and introduced fish species in the Lachlan River, and illegal fishing activities. He reflects on family life with his mob, growing up, his culture, diet, changes in water flows and levels, conservation practices, and sustainable ecological management.]]> Lachlan River, NSW [stream]]]> Euabalong, NSW [populated place]]]> Condobolin, NSW [populated place]]]> Lake Cargelligo, NSW [lake]]]> Booberoi Creek, NSW [stream]]]> Wyangala Dam, NSW [dam]]]> Lake Cowal, NSW [lake]]]> Murrin Bridge, NSW [section of populated place]]]> Weirs]]> Floods]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Racism]]> Cotton]]> Silt]]> Water quality]]> Water pollution]]> Cultural Flows]]> Coalbed methane]]> Aquifers--Australia]]> Cyanides]]> Riparian areas]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Environmental conservation]]> Salinity]]> Sacred sites]]> Connection to Country]]> Land custodianship]]> Aboriginal spirituality (Baiame)]]> Wiradjuri people]]> Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi language]]> Water--Symbolic aspects]]>
Phil Duncan is an Aboriginal man with both Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay heritage. He identifies predominantly as a Gamilaraay man who grew up in Moree in northern New South Wales. Born in 1963, Phil is Chair of the First Peoples' Water Engagement Council and has witnessed a number of important changes in this region regarding cotton farming, weirs and dams, and the water quality.

Phil is knowledgeable in his heritage and emphasises the importance of Aboriginal connection to Country, and caring for Country as an important responsibility for Aboriginal people. He recommends that traditional Aboriginal knowledges be adhered to regarding the conservation of Country as Western land management methods have had a detrimental impact.


Mentioned:

Turtles, sheep & cattle (farming), worms.

]]> CC BY-NC]]> Moree, NSW [populated place]]]> Terry Hie Hie, NSW [populated place]]]> Terry Hie Hie Creek, NSW [stream]]]> Mehi River, NSW [stream]]]> Boomi Nature Reserve, NSW [reserve]]]> Mungindi, Qld [farm]]]> Barwon River, NSW [stream]]]> Narrabri, NSW [populated place]]]> Gwydir River, NSW [stream]]]> Boolaroo, NSW [section of populated place]]]> Copeton Dam, NSW [dam]]]> Namoi River, NSW [stream]]]> Cubbie, Qld [homestead]]]> Keepit Dam, NSW [lake]]]> Narran Lake, NSW [lake]]]> Macquarie Marshes, NSW [marsh(es)]]]> Boolaroo, NSW [populated place]]]> Mungindi, NSW [populated place]]]>
An archival version of the Talking Fish Collection is managed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive (ATSIDA).]]>