Native Fish Australia (Victoria) advocates for the ecological health of rivers and native fish populations, and is involved in numerous programs to raise community awareness and understanding of native fish. 

The organisation is actively involved in a number of small-bodied native fish projects including a “Fish tanks in Schools” program working with the City of Dandenong and others. This program is proposed to be expanded to cover other areas and schools to achieve widespread education benefits.

Fish tanks in schools can lead to many areas of learning associated with water quality issues, native fish ecology, river health, endangered flora & fauna, animal husbandry and introduced/feral fauna. There are also opportunities to breed the Southern Pygmy Perch in the tanks and involve the schools in the re-introduction of fish into local waterways. The fish tanks also allow students and staff to develop a connection with native fish and the aquatic environment.

The main fish stocked into the fish tanks are Southern Pygmy Perch (Nannoperca australis). They are a small bodied native fish that are endemic to the Melbourne area and grow to around 8cm. Some other species of small bodied native fish may also be stocked into the fish tanks.