In 2023, about 200 Murray crayfish were released as part of a landmark trial to reintroduce this iconic Australian species back into the South Australian River Murray.
Once common in this part of the Murray River, the number of Murray crayfish declined to a point of virtual extinction from overfishing, the effects of river regulation and declines in water quality. Improved understanding and recent improvements to these conditions mean it’s now time to attempt to bring the species back to South Australia.
As a result of flood events in 2022-23, a number of Murray crayfish were rescued from black water affected sites interstate. Most of these crayfish were returned to where they came from but some of these animals were retained to be released in South Australia as part of an important trial to investigate whether it was possible to successfully re-introduce a local extinct species.
Each year since 2023, approximately 200 adult crayfish and 400-500 juveniles have been translocated from captivity to healthy upstream population sites. Several crayfish were fitted with radio tracking devices before release, and a monitoring program has found that the crayfish are surviving well and are even successfully breeding. The huge amount of data from the tracking devices is providing fantastic new insight into the habits of this species.
This initiative is a partnership between Nature Glenelg Trust, and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the landscape levies, with support from New South Wales DPI, OzFish, North West Aquaculture, Victoria Fisheries Authority, River Murray & Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) and PIRSA.
