In the summer of 2018–19 mass fish kills occurred in the Lower Darling (Baaka) River in south-eastern Australia. The fish kills received national and international attention and have been the focus of numerous government agency and independent assessments. Although fish kills have previously been recorded in the Lower Darling region, the size and rapid succession of the 2018–19 ‘Menindee’ fish kills made them unprecedented in the Murray–Darling Basin, placing significant pressure on the native fish community. Although the deaths of millions of fish were documented, the significant negative effect that the fish kills had on local communities, particularly the traditional Baakandji people, was largely ignored. The social and cultural aspects of such events can have major non-economic effects on local communities. In this paper we document heart-felt feelings conveyed by local community members. Their sense of loss, despair and helplessness is compounded by frustration regarding water management and policy decision making in the Murray–Darling Basin. However, these tragic events have increased understanding of traditional Baakandji connection to the river and its fish and, together with local recovery efforts, now provide prospects for enhanced community and agency cooperation to improve the health of the lower Darling Baaka River and restore its native fish populations.

2018-19 年夏天，Lower Darling ( Baaka) 澳大利亚东南部的河流。鱼类死亡受到了国家和国际的关注，并已成为众多政府机构和独立评估的重点。尽管先前在下达令地区记录了鱼类死亡，但 2018-19 年“Menindee”鱼类死亡的规模和快速连续性使它们在墨累-达令盆地史无前例，给当地鱼类群落带来了巨大压力。尽管记录了数百万条鱼的死亡，但鱼类死亡对当地社区，尤其是传统的巴坎吉人造成的重大负面影响在很大程度上被忽视了。此类事件的社会和文化方面可能对当地社区产生重大的非经济影响。在本文中，我们记录了当地社区成员传达的衷心感受。他们的失落感，对墨累-达令盆地的水资源管理和政策决策的挫败感加剧了绝望和无助感。然而，这些悲惨事件加深了人们对传统 Baakandji 与河流及其鱼类的联系的了解，并与当地的恢复工作一起，现在为加强社区和机构合作以改善达令下游的健康提供了前景巴卡河并恢复其原生鱼类种群。