MOUNT Gambier High School environmental biology students have been learning all about endangered fish by taking part in a Yarra Pygmy Perch captive breeding and release program.
Working closely with Natural Resources South East’s Steve Clarke, the students have helped with re-introduction of the small native freshwater fish that is critically endangered in South Australia as a result of habitat loss due to widespread drainage and vegetation clearance.
The fish, once prevalent in the South East, is now found in small numbers in only four locations.
“The overriding intention of the program will re-introduce the endangered fish back into suitable, secure locations in the South East,” Mr Clarke said.
Mount Gambier High School has become a valuable participant in the project by hosting a quarantine facility for the Yarra Pygmy Perch, collected from the city council’s breeding dam.
The fish spend a month at the school before getting an all clear from PIRSA veterinary officers and released into Piccaninni Ponds.
During this time, students have been actively participating in the feeding and monitoring of the fish, with the Yarra Pygmy Perch also used as a teaching resource while in quarantine, giving students a greater understanding of the natural environment and threats to native animals.
“Being a part of the program and having the fish at the school has provided an enormous benefit for the students,” Mount Gambier High School environmental biology teacher Danny Ashcroft said.
“They have taken a lot of pride and satisfaction in monitoring and maintaining the health of the fish and by being involved in the conservation of the fish the students have become more aware of the local environment and the actions we can take to help preserve it.”
Next year, Mount Gambier High School is hoping to re-commission its own aquaculture centre and become an important part of the breeding and release program.
