Facts about Fish Habitat
- Habitat is the critical element of fisheries productivity – Key marine and freshwater species important to Aboriginal, commercial operations and recreational fishers in NSW are dependent on the quality and/or quantity of habitat available to them. Not only do these species provide many cultural, socially and environmentally significant values, but economically they generate around $1.7 billion to the State economy, supporting many regional centres throughout the state.
No habitat = No fish!!
- Most fish habitat in NSW has been modified, lost or destroyed through human-induced change. We have regulated rivers, removed mangroves and saltmarsh for coastal development, drained wetlands and fish nursery habitat, constructed structures which restrict river flow and inhibit fish migration and removed macrohabitat such as fallen timber.These changes have put pressure on native fish populations.
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Marcus Riches
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Fisheries NSW
Photo Fisheries NSW
- Effective conservation and management of fish habitat will lead to improved recreational, commercial and indigenous fishing, boating and other uses of our aquatic resources. Clean and sufficient water in our rivers, estuaries and oceans is a critical measure of landscape health and the well-being of people.
Want to know more about the management of fish habitat in NSW. Click here.
Photos Fisheries NSW
Photos Fisheries NSW - Demonstration site at Ewingar Creek on the Clarence catchment before and after the structure was replaced with a fish friendly design.
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Fisheries NSW
Photo Anissa Lawrence
What is Fish Habitat
Habitats are simply those places where aquatic species live. This can include:
- natural materials that comprise the habitat (e.g. rocks, coral, gravel, sand and mud)
- the type of vegetation present (e.g. macrophytes, snags, seaweeds, seagrasses, mangroves and saltmarsh)
- the shape and nature of the habitat (e.g. pools and riffles, billabongs, reefs)
- the overall ecosystem (e.g. wetlands, floodplains, streams, estuaries, lakes, beaches)
Photo Fisheries NSW
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Anissa Lawrence
Photo Fisheries NSW
Photo Fisheries NSW
Photo Anissa Lawrence