NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries will continue the search for a remnant population of the Kangaroo/Shoalhaven River Perch, after a four-day research trip along the upper reaches of the Shoalhaven River failed to return any trace of the species.
The Kangaroo/Shoalhaven lineage of Macquarie Perch has not been detected in the last 20 years, however there was hope that populations remain hidden away waiting to be found.
NSW DPIRD Senior Fisheries Manager Luke Pearce was joined by local Traditional Owners on the research trip, where they took water samples to test for environmental DNA (eDNA) left by the elusive Kangaroo River Perch.
"eDNA allows us to detect a species in the wild without actually seeing or capturing it. Unfortunately, the results have not returned any traces of the Kangaroo River Perch", Mr Pearce said.
"We know that historically it has been found in this extremely remote section of the Shoalhaven River, only accessible via kayak, hiking or helicopter. So, we spent four days kayaking through rough terrain, camping and setting nets in the hopes of finding this fish."
Mr Pearce said DPIRD Fisheries plan on leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the search for the Kangaroo River Perch, before any conclusions can be reached on its status.
"But the work continues - while these results do not confirm that the species has gone extinct – our next steps are to conduct a detailed assessment of the amount of surveying work that has been done on this species to date."
"Once we do complete a stock take of what's been done, we can see if there is any further geographical area, sampling methodology or specific timing of surveys that have been missed and we can make a plan to fill these gaps", Mr Pearce said.
"We will also do some further investigation with the local community and Traditional Owners to see if there are any insights into locations that may have been missed or overlooked.
"We are also working closely with a Taxonomist to confirm if the Kangaroo River Perch is a genetically separate species to the Macquarie Perch.
The Shoalhaven River research trip and ongoing research efforts form an essential component of a larger initiative supported by a $1 million investment from Reflections Holidays to support the recovery of endangered Macquarie Perch populations in NSW.
