The eastern freshwater cod has been described as "just as important as a crocodile or white shark". Now, experts have designed a nesting box that has delivered promising results.

The discovery of thousands of eastern freshwater cod spawn inside a specially designed nesting box was the culmination of years of work by NSW Local Land Services and the Department of Primary Industries.

While evidence of cod breeding was found in only one box, Mr Morris said that one success will make a significant difference to the wild population of which there is thought to be less than 250 adult cod.

The eastern freshwater cod is one of four freshwater cod species in Australia listed as either vulnerable or endangered by the federal government.

Mr Morris is confident the recent success in breeding wild eastern freshwater cod could help efforts to save the other species.

“Any benefit that we get to the breeding outcomes of eastern freshwater cod will extend to Murray cod, trout cod, and hopefully Mary River cod as well,” Mr Morris said.

  • Treevan 🇦🇺@aussie.zoneOPEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Also related, the Mary River Cod is also about to be placed on the critically endangered list, it was in an article I posted a few days ago.

    I work the Mary River in spots and the large Eucalyptus have been logged out in the riparian zones. You can see fragments of huge logs in the water, making islands, built into the banks preventing erosion etc. All the snags have been blasted out and nothing remains to replace them. So much catchment has been cleared, the Mary River is an eroding drain of high volume water. Fucking cows and now Grazon like it’s irrigation.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_River_cod