Wanted dead or alive
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NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is calling on anglers in the Clarence River region to be on the look out for a pest fish called the Banded Grunter.
The banded grunter is a small, predatory, perch-like fish with a distinctive pattern of five vertical black stripes on a silver-to-bronze background.
They can grow to 25 centimetres in length but are more commonly around 8 to 12 cm. Although native to the northern parts of Australia, the banded grunter is declared a noxious fish in NSW.
Rebecca Chapman, NSW DPI Senior Conservation Manager (aquatic pests) said banded grunters were probably introduced into NSW waters accidentally, through contaminated shipments of fish from Queensland hatcheries.
“The first records of the fish in NSW occurred in 1999 in the Clarence River. Since then, sightings in the Clarence River have been increasing.”
Currently, banded grunters seem to be limited to the Clarence River from below Grafton to ‘The Gorge’, a natural barrier upstream of Copmanhurst. However, they have the potential to spread further.
The banded grunter is a hardy and aggressive predator with the potential to prey on the eggs and juveniles of local native fish, including Australian bass, compete for habitat and food, and introduce disease.
Ms Chapman said banded grunters have little value as a sport or table fish and can ruin important recreational fishing areas by dominating the recreational catch.
“Already, fisheries in three major dams and lakes in south-eastern Queensland have suffered from the accidental introduction of this fish,” she said.
“Over the last two years, NSW DPI researchers have been tracking banded grunters in the lower Clarence system and collecting samples to determine how quickly they are breeding, how they are growing and what they are feeding on.
“Any additional information we can receive from anglers will help us work out what can be done to control the spread of this noxious fish.”
NSW DPI is asking anglers to report sightings of the species in the Clarence river system, and to destroy any banded grunters they catch, rather than returning them to the water.
Sightings of banded grunters and other pest species can be reported on NSW DPI Fisheries’ 24-hour hotline, 02 4916 3877 or by email on pests@fisheries.nsw.gov.au.
Anglers interested in providing fresh or frozen banded grunters for research can also contact the Grafton Aquaculture Centre on (02) 6644 7633.
MEDIA CONTACT: Phil Bevan, NSW DPI, Wollongbar, 0429 458 053.