Tabilk Wetlands and Wildlife Reserve

Debra Meiburg MW Meets the Winemaker 181: Alister Purbrick, Tahbilk Winery

Debra talks with Alister Purbrick, the 5th generation of Tahbilk Winery at the Nagambie Lakes Region. As surrounded by water, Alister tells Debra the inspiration for the winery name comes from Tabilk Tabilk, which is an Aboriginal name for a place with many waterholes. He mentions to Debra that they have one of the largest plantings of the world for the Marsanne variety, and is open to experimenting with new varieties. Finally, he tells Debra that the winery have recently launched and opened a wetland and wildlife reserve, attracting about 140,000 visitors a year.

As seen on Coxy's Big Break - Monitoring Freshwater Catfish

Researchers from the Department of Sustainability and Environment's Arthur Rylah Institute are
using electronic tracking to learn more about the threatened Freshwater Catfish (Tandanus tandanus) near
Nagambie.

ARI Fish Ecologist Wayne Koster said the data from monitoring Freshwater Catfish at Tahbilk lagoon is
vital for works on a fish passage and habitat improvement which will help to preserve the catfish at the site
as well as increasing our knowledge of the species.

We are using radio-transmitters implanted in 11 of the fish several months ago to learn more about where
the fish go and what they get up to, Mr Koster said.

These fish are almost always around snags or under the cover of another threatened species Watershield
(Brasenia shreberi), an aquatic plant which forms a wide floating fringe around the lagoon. Electronic
tracking is the most effective way to locate them and learn more about these secretive fish.

Freshwater Catfish are unusual in that, at this time of year, the males spend much of their time
maintaining, building and protecting circular nests made of pebbles or in cleared areas amongst vegetation.

Male fish with nests don't move around a lot but female fish might be expected to move around more,
potentially moving into more open areas to feed around dusk.