SPILLWAY A WEAPON OF BASS DESTRUCTION
HUNDREDS of fish trying to migrate down the Nerang River have died after plunging over the spillway of the Hinze Dam.
The dam is spilling after heavy rain — an event that has coincided with the bass species’ instinct to travel downstream and spawn in salt water.
Countless dead fish were floating at the bottom of the dam yesterday.
Dam manager Seqwater revealed a state-of-the-art fish recovery system built into the dam had saved 1743 fish which swam over the spillway in the past three days.
The fish are collected a few hundred metres downstream from the spillway and returned to the dam.
When the dam is spilling fish are transported daily, with 339 bass captured yesterday, 524 on Tuesday and 880 on Monday.
So far this year 3300 bass have been rescued.
Dean Lapham, from Doug Burt’s Tackle World, said winter was the peak migration season for bass. He said unless truckloads of dead fish were found there was no cause for concern.
“The Hinze Dam is one of the most well stocked dams in the country,” Mr Lapham said.
Hinze Dam Fish Management Committee chairman Ian Jeffers said the dam was stocked annually with 50,000-100,000 new fish.