Tasmania races to save Swan galaxias fish with just 6,000 remaining

Conservation teams in Tasmania are constructing barriers and clearing waterways to protect the native Swan galaxias, a small fish on the brink of extinction. The species has been devastated since brown trout were introduced to the region over 160 years ago, leaving only around 6,000 individuals. While natural barriers have helped some populations survive, droughts and floods continue to threaten their existence. Authorities are establishing trout-free refuges and relocating fish to isolated, protected catchments. The initiative seeks to balance Tasmania's longstanding angling culture with the urgent need to recover a critically endangered native species.