The Mary River cod (Maccullochella mariensis) is among Australia’s most range-restricted freshwater fishes, with its natural distribution confined to a single catchment. Its recovery requires coordinated action across science, habitat, partnerships and investment. Over the past 18 months, the Burnett Mary Regional Group and its partners have advanced a catchment-scale recovery pathway integrating research, Traditional Owner knowledge, on-ground intervention, community participation and conservation finance.
Research and monitoring provide the evidence base for action. Whole-genome sequencing, chromosome characterisation, catchment-wide population genetics and environmental DNA surveys are improving understanding of population vulnerability and distribution, helping target conservation stocking and habitat investment. These data are being translated into complementary interventions including engineered hollow-log habitat (“cod logs”), strategic stocking, and riparian and landscape restoration.
Central to this approach is a multi-species Recovery Action Plan, developed with stakeholders to guide recovery of Mary River cod and other priority species over the next 20 years. The plan provides a shared roadmap, identifying priority actions and establishing measures to track implementation and recovery success. Traditional Owners have contributed knowledge, genetic samples and recovery priorities, while broader participation has been strengthened through the ‘Codference’, public awareness campaigns and digital education.
The next challenge is securing sustained investment to deliver this roadmap. BMRG is piloting “Cod Credits” to develop and test a high-integrity threatened species method under Eco-Markets Australia’s Australasian Biodiversity Improvement Standard. The pilot aims to create a practical, scientifically defensible pathway for private, philanthropic and government investment to generate verified biodiversity improvement credits linked to threatened species recovery.
The Mary River cod program provides a practical case study of how science, management, Traditional Owners and communities can work together to move threatened species conservation from individual interventions towards an integrated, catchment-scale recovery pathway.