More fish stocks for New England

Anglers in the New England region are set to benefit from the NSW Government's latest release of more than 105,000 silver perch fingerlings into waterways in the New England tablelands, the Director-General of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said today.

Mr Dunn said the release of the silver perch fingerlings is part of NSW Fisheries' continuing commitment to stocking freshwater areas with trout, salmon and native species.

The fish were bred at the NSW Fisheries Grafton Aquaculture Centre and were released as follows:

40,000 into Pindari dam, near Ashford
38,200 into Copeton Dam, near Inverell
29,000 into Split Rock Dam, near Manilla.

"This is great news for anglers who can look forward to catching these fish in a couple of years. And it's just one of the ways freshwater anglers are benefiting from their licence fees," he said.

The NSW Government provided more than $1 million for its stocking program this year to ensure anglers continue to enjoy freshwater fishing, with a further $500,000 provided from the recreational fishing licence.

During the 2002/03 stocking season, a record 7.9 million fish were stocked in freshwater areas across the State under the Government's stocking program.

"This release is also good news for country NSW where freshwater angling creates jobs and supports local businesses and tourism," Mr Dunn said.

Media inquiries - Daniel Rath 02 8437 4984 or 0438 247 571