Implications of the Greenhouse Effect for native Freshwater Fishes in New South Wales

Abstract

Many freshwater fishes live in restricted and enclosed environments, and therefore climatic can have immediate impacts on them. Unlike Europe and North America, Australia has a natural climatic cycle of drought and floods, and native freshwater fishes have evolved to survive these harsh climactic extremes. Many native freshwater fishes such as golden perch, silver perch, Murray cod and Australian bass require flood events to stimulate spawning and/or migration. Inundated floodplains also provide vital spawning and nursery areas for many native freshwater fish species (Geddes & Puckridge 1989). Despite this certain degree of inbuilt adaptability to changing environmental conditions, the population of many freshwater fish species are in decline (Cadwallader 1978). Of the 189 native freshwater fishes found in Australia, the conservations status of 59 (i.e. over 30%) is in some way threatened or in doubt, (Harris 1987).