Protect our waterways and fish habitats

HelP Prevent tHe sPread of water weeds

www.dPi.nsw.gov.au

Hello water weeds! Goodbye favourite

fishing spot!Fishers and boaters can help prevent

the spread of water weeds by reporting sightings and cleaning their gear, watercraft, trailers and vehicles.

Waterways heavily infested with water weeds can have low numbers

of fish due to poor water quality.

to THIS!

from THIS...

Don’t let your favourite

spot go

Photographers: Steven Evans, Sue Hayward, Mic Julien, Paul Sullivan and Pat Tully.

What are water weeds?Water weeds are invasive plants that threaten the value of our waterways. These introduced plants are able to flourish in Australian environments becoming invasive weeds.

Water weeds will:• restrict access to or navigation on the water• create poor water quality conditions affecting fish and other aquatic life • shade out native vegetation• reduce sunlight penetration and lower water temperature• reduce waterbird and fish habitat• foul fishing gear and make it difficult to land fish• damage boat motors by blocking water intakes

Water weeds can be spread by:• watercraft, trailers and fishing equipment. They can survive considerable

time out of water and new infestations are often noticed near areas such as boat ramps.

• propellers and anchors cutting plants into fragments. A single fragment can start a new infestation.

Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) A floating fern with rapid growth quickly covering the water surface.

Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) A highly invasive plant that grows on land and in water.

Murray cod (Maccullochella peeli). Native to the Murray-Darling river system.

Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua). Native to the Murray-Darling river system; separate species or sub-species also found in the Bullo-Bancannia, Lake Eyre and Fitzroy-Dawson river systems.

Silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus). Native to the Murray-Darling river system.

Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) A floating plant forming dense mats on the water surface.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) A floating plant forming dense mats on the water surface.

Eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tandanus). Native to the Murray-Darling and eastern drainage river systems.

Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata). Occur in eastern drainage river systems from Queensland to Victoria.

Most of the waterways where these fish occur are presently unaffected by water weeds. Undertaking steps to prevent water weeds will protect fish habitat. For rules and regulations about these species go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries

Help prevent the spread of water weeds next time you go fishing/boating• Inspect and remove any plant material from watercraft, trailers and equipment before leaving a site.

Don’t forget inside the boat, live wells, bilge and bait containers. • Learn to recognise water weeds. Be observant of new or unusual plants.• Avoid infested waterways. If in an infested area, avoid running the engine through weed beds.And keep our waterways free of weeds…

REPORT INFESTATIONS to your local council weed officer; the NSW Weeds Hotline 1800 680 244; your nearest NSW

Department of Primary Industries Office; or email weeds@dpi.nsw.gov.au

For further information on water weeds visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/weeds

The following water weeds are declared in NSW under the Noxious Weeds Act (1993):

Water weeds like the same waters as these popular native freshwater fish:

Boat and trailer check pointsAreas where water weeds can accumulate

Diagram courtesy of the Boating Industry Association of Victoria.

If you

think you have

found a water

weed, please

report it.

Prevention

is better than

cure. Control is

often difficult and

expensive.