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IFS successfully completes environmental fencing projects
The Inland Fisheries Service recently completed a series of important environmental fencing projects that commenced in 2005. The project co-ordinator Terry Byard said that the installation of approximately 15.5 km of stock exclusion fencing demonstrated how the IFS could successfully collaborate with community organisations, interest groups, landowners and volunteers to achieve good outcomes. see full story for details
The Inland Fisheries Service recently completed a series of important environmental fencing projects that commenced in 2005. The project co-ordinator Terry Byard said that the installation of approximately 15.5 km of stock exclusion fencing demonstrated how the IFS could successfully collaborate with community organisations, interest groups, landowners and volunteers to achieve good outcomes.
The work aimed at providing protection for the wetlands of lakes Crescent and Sorell from stock grazing during the ongoing dry conditions that have significantly impacted on this region. The Interlaken Lakeside Reserve which is situated in the north western corner of Lake Crescent is also a listed Ramsar site and is covered by the Environment Protection, Biodiversity and Conservation Act (EPBC). Mr Byard said that whilst some stock grazing occurred on the wetlands in times past, this did not represent a major issue because of the regular inundation of the marshes from high lake levels. It is now many years since good inundation of the wetlands has been achieved and grazing damage is now compounding and placing additional pressure on an already highly stressed system.
The last of the projects involved the fencing of the Long Shore at Bronte Lagoon which enabled water quality and environmental obligations under the Derwent Catchment Management Plan to be achieved as well as providing benefits to anglers through the removal of cattle from the Lagoon’s margin.
In summary, the individual fencing projects comprised:
Lake Crescent – Clyde Marsh 8.0 km, Interlaken Lakeside Reserve 3.0 km, Lake Sorell – Robertsons Marsh 2.0 km, Clyde River below Lake Crescent – Hazelwoods Lagoon 1.0 km, Bronte Lagoon – Long Shore 1.5 km.
The IFS would like to thank the following organisations and people who enabled this work to be completed:
Greening Australia, NRM South and Derwent Catchment NRM Committee, Hydro Tasmania, DPIW, landowners – Interlaken Estate and St Johnstone (Valleyfield), Lake Crescent shack owners, Gunns, Lake Sorell Game Management Group and Kingborough Anglers Club.
