5.7 million more fish in NSW waters

NSW has had another terrific fish stocking season this year with around 5.7 million fish released into the State’s waterways in 2006/07, including 2.2 million native fish.

The drought had some impact on the stocking program but native fish had evolved over millions of years to handle the current tough conditions and their numbers were actually quite healthy.

DPI staff closely monitors the situation and only stock where water levels can sustain fish stocking.

During the past year, more than 3.5 million trout and salmon fry and fingerlings were put into NSW waters. Native stocked species include Golden perch, Murray cod, Silver perch, and Australian bass.

The fish were produced at NSW DPI hatcheries at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Dutton Trout Hatchery at Ebor, near Armidale, the Gaden Trout Hatchery at Jindabyne and the Port Stephens Fisheries Centre.

Fish stocking is great news for anglers as it helps to not only improve their sport but it also provides other great benefits.

It supports some of our most important inland fisheries such as the Australian bass fishery at Glenbawn dam and the trout fisheries across NSW.

The Trout season closes June long weekend, this gives trout a chance to breed.

More than $1 million was committed to the State-wide stocking program this financial year.

In addition, freshwater anglers allocated $335,000 a year from their fishing licence fees to this program and $230,000 a year from the dollar-for-dollar program where groups apply for matching funds to buy native fish from licensed commercial hatcheries for stocking of local waterways.

This funding has been welcome news for anglers with many fish stockings occurring over the past few months. In April about 48,000 Golden perch were released in Billabong Creek, north of Deniliquin, 40,000 in the Blowering Dam near Tumut and 152,000 in the Burrinjuck dam near Yass.

For more information on fish stocking is available on the DPI website: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

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