Identification of human-made physical barriers to fish passage in the Wet Tropics region, Australia

Researchers identified 3,748 human-made physical barriers to fish passage—including bridges, culverts, and causeways—in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. Using a desktop GIS analysis of stream networks (18,363 km at 1:100,000 scale), this study provides the first comprehensive inventory of such obstacles in the region. The findings highlight critical barriers that disrupt native fish movement and fisheries productivity, offering a foundation for prioritizing remediation efforts to restore ecological connectivity.

Kroon, F. J., & Phillips, S. (2015). Identification of human-made physical barriers to fish passage in the Wet Tropics region, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 67(5), 677–681. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf14397