Additional federal funds to prevent extreme mass fish deaths

The federal government has tipped an additional $300,000 into helping states manage mass fish deaths during the summer as part of a new response plan.

Source: AAP

The federal government has set aside an additional $300,000 to help states manage extreme fish kills during the summer months.

The federal emergency response plan for fish kills was on Monday made public, including money reallocated from the Emergency Contingency Fund.

The plan would also include the replenishment of "red alert" water areas with available commonwealth environmental sources, improved algae bloom monitoring, increased fish relocation and the use of aerators.

Fish deaths on the Darling River Source: Rob Gregory

Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said the government would seek to coordinate with ecological experts and maintain a fish death database.

The states would then take responsibility for identifying high-risk water areas and potential fish relocation sites.

"Make no mistake, we are likely to see fish deaths this summer. We're facing another hot summer with very little water flowing through our rivers," Mr Littleproud said in a statement on Monday.

"We want native river fish such as the Murray cod, silver perch and golden perch to have the best chance of surviving this summer."

Mr Littleproud has previously echoed the NSW government's concerns about an impending "fish Armageddon" in the drought-stricken Murray-Darling Basin.

Massive amounts of fish carcasses rotted in western NSW's Menindee Lakes last summer in a horrific ecological disaster.

The government in April pledged $70 million to improve the health of the Darling River following a report on the fish deaths by water scientists.

"We want healthy and thriving fish populations in our rivers during drought and in the good times," Mr Littleproud said.

Hundreds of thousands of fish were found dead in NSW's far west last summer. Source: AAP

Mr Littleproud's announcement comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday committed $1 billion to NSW dams and water infrastructure projects.

Funded projects include construction of the Dungowan Dam near Tamworth, the first dam being built in NSW since 1987.

The Nature Conservation Council warned the NSW government to ensure water infrastructure projects were thoroughly assessed to avoid ecological catastrophes such as mass fish deaths.