Copperlode may get healthy barra boost
THE prospects of fishing for barramundi in Cairns’ main water supply reservoir could soon be boosted.
Cairns Regional Council and Copperlode Fish and Kayak are submitting a joint application to the State Government to stock Copperlode Dam with up to 30,000 fingerling barra.
Cairns Regional Council approved the dam, also known as Lake Morris, for commercial recreational use in July.
Copperlode Fish operator Kim Andersen was awarded the first commercial permit by the council to operate fishing tours at the reservoir last week.
Fishing is only permitted at the dam when it is under the supervision of an authorised guide. This is due to the risk of contaminants entering the city’s water supply, and the dangers of towing a boat on Lake Morris Rd.
Mr Andersen, a former fisheries officer, said healthy sized barramundi were thriving in the dam from previous stocks decades ago.
“From what I’ve seen, there’s two sizes of fish in there,’’ he said.
“There’s fish around 1.05m through to about 1.12m in one class, and then there’s ones that are 1.3m to 1.5m plus – these are the real giants.
“There’s not a lot of them there, and of course they’re dying out from a number going over the spillway. Numbers are diminishing.”
The dam has also been stocked in previous years with bony bream, barramundi, sooty grunter, archerfish, sleepy cod, eel-tailed catfish and mangrove jack. Mr Andersen said he had caught grunter and archerfish, but had not yet seen any mangrove jack. Some 3980 mangrove jack were stocked in the dam there in December 1998 and June 1999 by Department of Primary Industries staff as part of a trial to test their suitability for other freshwater impoundments
“The jacks, I haven’t had a chance to look for yet, but I certainly hope to find those,’’ Mr Andersen said.
“If we can find those, we’re laughing, otherwise it’s going to be hard work until we get those juvenile (barra) up to a reasonable stage.”
A council spokeswoman said the joint application depended on availability of the fingerling and cost. “The primary reason for the application is the newly-established commercial recreation opportunities at the dam,’’ she said.
“Council has participated in fish stocking programs previously, but not in the past 15 years.” The dam was built from 1973-76, at a cost of $6.5 million. It holds 45,000 megalitres of water, and took one week to fill after heavy rains.