Murray River Fish Hotels: Regenerative Tourism in Action

The mighty Murray River is home to one of Australia’s most iconic freshwater fish – the Murray Cod. Once abundant, this legendary species is now listed as vulnerable in South Australia. Habitat loss, overfishing, altered river flows, and the removal of millions of fallen logs (“snags”) during the paddle steamer era have left the Murray Cod without the safe breeding and feeding grounds they once relied on.

Murray River Trails, operator of the Murray River Walk, has launched an inspiring regenerative tourism project to help change that story – building “fish hotels” to restore essential habitat and give Murray Cod populations a fighting chance.

Why It Matters

From the Millennium Drought to climate change and river regulation, the Murray’s ecosystem has faced decades of pressure. Re-snagging the river helps:

• Increase Murray Cod populations
• Boost numbers of other native species
• Reduce invasive carp through natural predation
• Enhance the benefits of small and medium floods that trigger breeding

This is regenerative tourism in action – going beyond low impact to actively restore river health.

What’s a Fish Hotel?

A fish hotel is a large, purpose-built structure made from Murray River red gum logs, designed to mimic the natural snags that native fish use for shelter and breeding. Each hotel:

• Weighs around 1.4 tonnes
• Is built to last for over a century
• Includes a concrete breeding pipe to protect Murray Cod eggs from predators
• Provides safe shelter for other native fish like Golden Perch and small-bodied species

Within months of installation, fish hotels can be buzzing with life – offering food, shelter, and breeding habitat in sections of the river where natural snags are scarce.

The Project Plan

Working with conservation partner OzFish, Murray River Trails will install 10 fish hotels between Lock 5 and Lock 6 in 2025–2026. Experienced local fish habitat expert Kym Manning will lead construction and installation, drawing on more than 15 years of fish habitat restoration experience.

First Nations Connection

The Murray Cod, or Pondi, is central to the Dreamtime creation story of the river. Local First Nations people have supported the project and continue to work with OzFish on fish monitoring programs, ensuring cultural heritage and environmental restoration go hand in hand.

See It for Yourself

Guests on the Murray River Walk may have the chance to cruise above the fish hotels, using a side-scan sonar to spot their new “residents” and learn about the project directly from guides. To experience this remarkable stretch of river and learn more about the Fish Hotel project in person, join the Murray River Walk – one of Australia’s signature guided walking experiences.