Recently Mary joined with members of the Canberra Fisherman’s Club to release 30,000 Golden Perch fingerlings into Lake Ginninderra, part of the ACT Government’s Fish Stocking Plan, and a regular program of stocking local lakes to improve recreational fishing.
Mary commented at the time that the release of fish into our lakes gives Canberrans greater opportunities for fishing closer to home. It also takes pressure off native species in our non-urban rivers and streams, provides better protection on threatened species in the wild and improves the biodiversity of our lakes.
Since the mid-1990s the ACT Government has released more than a million fish into our lakes and dams.
The Golden Perch are some of the 67,000 fingerlings the ACT Government, with the assistance of the Canberra Fisherman’s Club, is stocking in Lake Tuggeranong, Lake Ginninderra, Yerrabi Pond and Gungahlin Pond this year. A total of 10,000 Murray Cod were released into Gungahlin Pond in January.
“The ACT Government's stocking program targets native species that adapt well to local lakes, including Murray Cod and Golden Perch. Staff from Territory and Municipal Services survey fish populations in urban lakes every two years. Results indicate that stocked fish are generally of angling size in about three years,” Mary reported.
Copies of the Fish Stocking Plan can be found at Canberra libraries, tackle shops and also at http://www.environment.act.gov.au/water.
Gallery 2010 Image 7
