Young Aussies flock to river to return fish 'missing for more than a century'

A group of young Aussies from three different schools flocked to an “iconic” river on Thursday morning to release 100 critically endangered fish they have been looking after for 12 months.

Last November, more than 400 native southern purple-spotted gudgeon fish were reintroduced to the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri, just outside of Adelaide, after going “missing for more than a century”, a spokesperson for Green Adelaide — SA’s first government urban environmental organisation — told Yahoo News Australia.

The move was part of an initiative to help save the species from extinction.

This week, the students gathered to release a second group of gudgeon, also known as zombie fish, into a restored section of the river during a “hands-on learning experience”.

Photos show the eager kids wading into the water before releasing the fish. The Green Adelaide spokesperson said the “significant” moment for the species is also a “great sign” for the river’s overall health as well.

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State's plight to save fish species from extinction

The southern purple-spotted gudgeon is endemic to SA, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, which classified the fish as extinct for 20 years before two were found in the state’s north in 2019.

Fish monitoring surveys at the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri over the past year have shown they are strong since their reintroduction, but did warn “it’s still early days”, Green Adelaide ecologist Jason van Weenen said.

“Over the last 20 years, conservation activities such as pest management, habitat restoration and water quality improvement have all played a role in the recovery of the river,” he said. “Gudgeons being able to call the river home once again is a testament to the work of many who continue to restore the river.”

Dr Sylvia Zukowski, senior aquatic ecologist for Nature Glenelg Trust — which has teamed up with the City of Marion and Green Adelaide to help with the project — said the second reintroduction of gudgeon was a good sign that more initiatives to save other threatened river species will be supported be in the future.

“Reintroducing southern purple-spotted gudgeon to the River Torrens provides a roadmap for planning for the conservation of other threatened fish species,” Dr Zukowski said.

“The gudgeons were in-bred at wetlands in Victor Harbor, and then moved to a ‘surrogate site’ of Oaklands Wetlands before being reintroduced to the River Torrens. These surrogate sites are critical for the recovery of small-bodied freshwater threatened fish as safe havens for breeding populations.”