Case Study 6: Stone eel traps in Kooyang on Gariwerd Country (Grampians, Victoria)

Case Study 6: Stone eel traps in Kooyang on Gariwerd Country (Grampians, Victoria)

During Kooyang, the hottest, driest stretch of late January to March, surface water across the Grampians dwindles and Salt Creek runs low. Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali fishers read two clear signs: the bright, crowded stars of summer nights and the slow pools that reveal dark shapes of short finned eels schooling in the shallows. People walk the creek bed, realign centuries old rows of flat stones and bait funnel openings with native galaxias. After taking only the fattest eels for roasting, they pull away key stones so smaller fish and early autumn flows can pass freely. In this way Kooyang becomes both harvest time and creek care time, turning a period of water scarcity into a lesson in restraint and renewal. ⁰

Community / Place

Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park, Western Victoria, is home to more than a third of the state’s rare or endangered plant species and holds permanent springs that feed Salt Creek and the Glenelg River. The people of this Country, Djab Wurrung in the south and Jardwadjali in the north, developed stone trap technology perfectly matched to these small, seasonal streams. ⁰

Seasonal or sensory cues

As Kooyang reaches its peak, night skies glitter with navigation stars and the midday heat bakes the clay banks until cracks appear. In the half shadowed pools, eels swirl in slow, silvery coils while their smaller galaxias prey dart beneath them. These visual and tactile cues, bright stars above, warm air and receding water below, tell fishers the moment has come to reset the age old stone traps. ⁰

Caring Action When the pools are ready, Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali Peoples mount a creek care routine that balances food needs with waterway health:

• Selective take – Only the thick bodied eels are removed; juveniles and by catch fish are released immediately.

• Trap reset – After the harvest the outer stones are loosened or pulled aside, restoring flow for the coming autumn rains.

• Reuse of materials – The same flat rocks are stacked year after year, avoiding fresh quarrying and keeping the creek banks stable.

Why it matters

Kooyang stone trapping turns a fleeting low water window into both nourishment and stewardship. By reopening the walls and returning small fish, people ensure that eels can continue their life cycle and that the creek supports plants, insects and birds through the coming seasons. This accessible example for students demonstrates how careful noticing leads to actions that help and heal Country.