Basin Plan Fish Monitoring Summary (2015/16–2024/25): Water Resource Planning Area Reports

Abstract

This report spans 2015/16–2024/25 and expands upon previous reports (Schilling&Crook2023,2024,2025b). This updated report was produced as part of the revised BPEOM-Fish program but also includes relevant data from a range of projects. Each chapter reports on a different New South Wales (NSW) Water Resource Planning Area (WRPA; Figure 1). The New South Wales Lower Darling and Murray WRPA was split into two regions for more spatially explicit reporting. The purpose of this report is to provide succinct summaries of key information at the WRPA scale to support river and fishery management. Ultimately this information aims to inform and contribute to the Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy (Murray–Darling Basin Authority 2025). Each chapter (Chapters1–10) is designed as a stand-alone report that can be viewed in isolation and, as such, there is repetition among the chapters. Each chapter is also formatted identically to aid readers in locating information. A particular focus is given to the following six species: • Murray cod • Golden perch • Freshwater catfish • Bony herring • Australian smelt • Common carp