There’s something fishy going on
THERE’S plenty happening in the local fish scene, with the Burrendong Classic back over Easter, fish screens being installed on irrigation pumps along the Wambuul Macquarie River, and now the latest news that 15,000 native Golden Perch fingerlings have been released back into the vital waterway.
Agriculture minister Dugald Saunders said the Golden Perch were bred successfully
at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre using stock rescued from the Macquarie River at the height of the drought in 2019.
“Native fish play an important economic role in NSW, contributing about $8 billion a year to tourism and recreation for Murray-darling Basin communities,” Mr Saunders said.
“Recreational fishing also contributes an estimated $3.4 billion to the NSW economy and supports about 14,000 jobs.
“Stocking activities like these support healthy native fish populations that have faced tough conditions, including widespread drought, reduced water availability, and more recently, the effects of intense bushfires.”
Local angler Matt Hansen said fishers and water managers understand that native fish are part of a larger system and work needs to be done to protect these species.
“As one of the main inland rivers in NSW, the Macquarie River is an important home for these fish and a very popular place to wet a line, as far as thousands of anglers are concerned,” Mr Hansen said.
“The team at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre has done an outstanding job producing and delivering quality fish over many years to enhance recreational fishing opportunities for anglers, following some tough, dry years.”