History is brewing in the waters of Brogo Dam, with the first ever release of estuary perch into NSW waters made in December.
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The stocking is a combined effort of Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association (FSCBSA) and Fisheries NSW which has been 18 months in the making, the Narooma News has reported.
The Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association, FSCBSA, have been stocking and counting Australian bass in Brogo Dam for over 20 years and president Darren Redman is excited to grow the program.
“They’re an endangered species, estuary perch have been netted to near extinction right along the east coast,” he said.
“We’re regenerating the stock in our local system, reintroducing them in the hope they will begin repopulating naturally.”
The estuary perch are released as fry when they are about the size of a fingernail.
Mr Redman said this is the best stage to release them because they can feed independently and haven’t develop a dependency on humans for food.
It was also recently announced that a new fish friendly weir will be installed to allow fish migration in and out of the dam, which is vital for both bass and estuary perch that breed in saltwater.
FSCBSA plans to release 10,000 estuary perch followed by another 10,000 next year. Their population will be surveyed throughout the program by Dr Chris Welsh from Fisheries.
Narooma aquaculturist Bruce Lawson will supply the estuary perch fry. His fish have previously been sourced for stocking programs in Victoria. Mr Redman is confident the new residents in Brogo Dam will flourish.
“We’re estimating a survival rate of about 95 per cent,” he said.
“They’re a robust fish, they’ve been known to survive in water temperatures from 5 degrees all the way up to 45 degrees.”
The Bega and Brogo rivers are no longer commercially fished, increasing the estuary perches’ success.
For recreational anglers, the stock in Brogo Dam provides a controlled and sustainable fishing experience.
The Brogo Bass Bash fishing competition on December 2 and 3 raises funds for the FSCBSA’s Australia Bass stocking program.
“We’re keen to get kids involved in fish stocking to ensure it continues in the future.”
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