I hate to agree with you but I think you are right on the money about the future of this water body. The absolute ridiculously small amount of money being spent on the health of our water ways is one step away from being criminal IMO.
When the Elisabeth quay project is finished a lot of people will no doubt come down to the swan to look at this beautiful (so we promised) structure and then see the shocking state of this states show case water way. Which by that time could well become nothing but a dead back water.
Then all the pollies will be running around looking for some one to blame for allowing the river to get to this state of affairs.

Sorry for the rant but as a kid fishing the Mosman Park area over a long time I feel for this water way and it's great history.

 We are facing a sad reality

just a random question, are chichlids rare in the swan and caning rivers?

Actually Cichlids shouldn't be there at all they're a pest so to answer your question we'd rather them be there or better still not at all but unfortunately it doesn't look like that going to be the case now

 They are highly aggressive and a prolific breeder. A terrible combination. They will feed on all the bait fish and also the baby fry that call this part of the river home (bream, mullet, yellowtail grunter, Pygmy perch!)

 There have already been reports of them in the upper swan around bells rapids, but I wasn't expecting to find one in the Canning!!