More than 400 “advanced size” juvenile mulloway have now been stocked into Sydney’s Georges River.
The dedicated team at DPI’s Port Stephens Fisheries Institute marine hatchery continue to develop and refine mulloway breeding technology and have successfully released a new cohort of tagged juvenile mulloway into the river.
These mulloway average just over a kilo in weight and range from 470-560mm in length.
A visible external dart tag on the shoulder of the released fish will allow them to be identified as stocked mulloway. The fish will be closely monitored by DPI scientists to assess the effects of the stocking, monitor their growth, movements and residency, as well measure their contribution to the local recreational fishery.
The fish released in this stocking event are expected to grow rapidly and reach the legal size limit of 70cm by the summer of 2024/25 .
Following their release, it is expected that the fish will gradually move away from the release locations and spread throughout the river, so keep an eye out for a small yellow dart tag on any mulloway you catch in the Georges River over coming months and years!
This marine stocking project is another example of your recreational fishing licence fees directly benefiting recreational fishers. This is also part of “Fish for life – Building a healthy fishing future”.
For more information on or to report the recapture of a tagged mulloway in the Georges River under the marine stocking program, please contact fisheries.enhancement@dpi.nsw.gov.au
This recent stocking of advanced size fish will be followed up by the mass release of mulloway fingerlings, which are currently in production at our Port Stephens hatchery. Stay tuned for more.