Restoring Fish Habitats In The Clarence
31 October 2003

Community groups are being invited to apply for $60,000 worth of grants to improve fish habitats in the Clarence catchment.

The funds are part of the two-year $120,000 Clarence Pilot Fish Habitat Grant Program, supported by the NSW recreational fishing licence.

The first $60,000 round of grants, announced earlier this year, has resulted in some innovative projects that improve the local aquatic environment and ultimately benefit recreational fishing.

Individuals, angling clubs, community groups, local councils and Rivercare and Landcare groups can apply for grants up to $10,000 on a matching dollar-for-dollar or in-kind basis.

The grants are available to help rehabilitate fish habitats, remove barriers to native fish movement, plant native trees and remove exotic vegetation along waterways.

There are also funding opportunities for associated research projects to determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation methods within the Clarence catchment.

Estuarine fish such as bream, flathead, prawns and mullet will directly benefit from the work being done to rehabilitate the areas where fish feed, breed and live.

Two of the first round projects involve restoring tidal flows, habitat and fish passage to 37 hectares of estuarine wetlands on Micalo Island.

Other projects are removing a section of a levee and restoring natural tides to 50 hectares of former estuarine wetland at Wooloweyah Lagoon, and opening a floodgate to 171 hectares of wetland at Little Broadwater.

The closing date for applications is November 28, 2003.

For more information on the program please call Craig Copeland at the NSW Fisheries Ballina office on 6686 2018.

Application forms can be obtaine online here ... http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/hab/grant-prog-clarence.htm

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