Wyangala Dam was boosted by more than 60,000 Golden Perch fingerlings on Thursday, April 26, as the final stop on the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) list for the breed’s fish stocking in 2018.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the fish bring the overall tally of Golden Perch stocked in NSW inland waters to a whopping 900,000 this year.
“The NSW Government has been hard at work during this stocking season, ensuring our native fish populations are well-stocked, now and for the years to come,” Ms Cooke said.
“Stocking our inland water systems, such as Wyangala Dam, provides continued recreational fishing opportunities for the benefit of the local angling community.”
“It also assists in regenerating native fish populations in areas where they might be struggling naturally,” Ms Cooke said.
Bred at the DPI Narrandera Fisheries Centre, the fingerlings joined more 272,000 fellow Golden Perch family members, which have been stocked in the dam by DPI over the past five years.
“The stocking season for native fish commenced in early December last year, following the breeding at Narrandera from mid-September,” Ms Cooke said.
“This week’s fish, which are approximately eight weeks old and 35mm in length, will be ready to catch in around three years’ time when they’ve reached legal size.
“Their brothers and sisters have been growing strong over the past five years though, meaning there is great fishing opportunity in the dam at the moment.”
The stocking of Golden Perch is part of NSW DPI’s overall stocking program, which sees more than five million native fish and salmonid stocked in nearly 1000 approved sites throughout public waters in NSW.
- Image by Matthew Chown, Cowra Guardian
