Experts Fear 'Walking' Fish Migration

March 26, 2010

Release from: ABC News (Australia)

Researchers are concerned an invasive fish species could reach the Australian mainland from the Torres Strait.

The fish can survive for long periods out of water and researchers are concerned it may spread to Cape York rivers in far north Queensland.

Climbing perch, a native of southern Asia, have been found on Saibai Island.

The head of the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, Dr Damien Burrows, says the perch were found in a freshwater reservoir on the island after a surprise encounter.

He says it is believed the fish reached the island from southern Papua New Guinea rivers.

"Someone landed at the airstrip on Saibai Island and got out of the plane and there was a fish walking across the tarmac and we took a photograph of it and sent it to the Queensland Museum and they identified it as a climbing perch, so we then did a trip to find the population where it was living on the island which we were successfully able to do," he said.

He says the perch could easily reach Cape York aboard dinghies.

"They're physiologically capable of surviving in the bottom of a boat, so if they were accidentally caught in a net or something, the net was pulled into the boat and they dropped off into the bottom and the boat then drove to another island or the mainland then they should be able to survive that trip," he said.

He says regional surveillance is the best defence against the pest fish.

Dr Burrows says the reservoir cannot be poisoned because it is the main water supply on the island.

"I think it's really important that people who may be working out there around the Torres Strait or northern Cape York Peninsula familiarise themselves with this fish and what to do if they encounter one and we've produced some fact sheets which if you did an internet search should pop up as well," he said.