This project is about helping people look after fish and farms.

Most water diversions in Australia are either unscreened or use outdated ‘trash racks’. These are poor performers – providing very little protection against the entrainment of native fish and debris. As a result, millions of native fish are lost from our waterways ever year and farmers needlessly suffer debris in their irrigation systems, which can damage pumps, clog filters and block sprinklers.

Modern fish-protection screens are available for use in Australia. They keep fish and debris where they belong – in the river and out of irrigation infrastructure. They have the potential to provide significant, widespread benefits for both biodiversity and businesses. Early accounts from farmers at over 20 showcase sites across the Murray-Darling Basin show that farmers are already saving time and money through reduced labour and maintenance costs. However, this evidence is largely anecdotal. There is a real need to rigorously document and communicate the environmental and economic benefits of modern screens. Being able to document these benefits will enable screening to move from an international best practice which is poorly applied in Australia, to common-practice in Australia.

The proposed project fills a critical knowledge gap in the evolution of modern fish screening in Australia, by recording and articulating the public and private value proposition of modern screens across a range of farming systems. Doing so will (1) improve farmer awareness and understanding of modern screening technology; (2) inform farmers’ decision-making, to maximise returns on investment; and, (3) guide prioritisation and integration of screening in large-scale conservation and fisheries management policy. Ultimately, this project aims to support adoption of screens where they are most beneficial to deliver benefits for rivers, fish and farms.