Investigation of eel deaths in western Victoria

The EPA works consistently to reduce the impact of significant fish and eel death events. Ongoing drought conditions between 2004 and 2007 led the EPA to become involved in ongoing monitoring programs and investigations into mass eel deaths in Victoria’s western lakes including Modewarre, Bolac, Colac and Tooliorook.

The number of eels impacted in Lake Modewarre and Lake Tooliorook were particularly high, with 50,000 and 100,000 eel deaths respectively. Given the wide range of factors that could have contributed to the deaths, EPA convened the Eel Death Investigation Reference Group (EDIRG) to oversee the investigation. The EDIRG included representatives from Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Deakin University, Chief Veterinary Office, Environment Victoria and a local eel fisher.

The EPA contracted an eel expert to better understand the eel’s complex lifecycle, part of which is spent spawning in the Coral Sea. A review of historical records found eels to be particularly vulnerable during periods of drought, when water levels in the Western Victorian Lakes were extremely low, and the most significant number of deaths were found to occur during summer. Drought conditions lead to impacts such as temperature change, salinity increases, pH and turbidity, toxic algae, eel parasites, toxic gases, overpopulation, and toxicity from heavy metals and synthetic organic chemicals. However the lakes have demonstrated the ability to recover once water levels return to normal.

All of the reports prepared on these investigations and ongoing monitoring programs can be found below.

• A Review of Eel Biology: Knowledge and Gaps. (PDF 593KB).
• EPA Publication 1070 - Update on western Victorian eel deaths investigation. (PDF 146KB)
• EPA Publication 1108 - A review of historic western Victorian lake conditions in relation to fish deaths. (PDF 713KB)
• EPA Publication 1114 - Findings of western Victorian lakes eel death investigation 2004–06 (PDF 1710KB). This report presents the findings of the investigation up until November 2006.

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