Record number of Australian bass stocked in NSW

December 14, 2017

AUSTRALIAN bass stocked into dams across NSW throughout 2017 have totalled a record 429,000.

NSW Department of Primary Industries Inland Fisheries manager Cameron Westaway said the record number of Australian bass, which were produced at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, exceeded the 413,000 produced back in 2013.

“This year, DPI has stocked Australian bass into 32 dams throughout the Central West, Hunter Valley, Northern Rivers, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands,” Mr Westaway said. “Australian bass are a sought-after sportfish on baits, flies and artificial lures.
“They travel to estuaries to spawn between June and August, and stocking is the only way to maintain Australian bass numbers in our impoundments.

“All 429,000 Australian bass were bred from wild fish caught when they were ready to spawn, and breeding takes place under strict protocols to ensure the fish are of a high quality. “Anglers will be able to catch these fish in three to five years, providing significant social and economic benefits for the regions.”

20,000 Australian bass stocked into Lake Lyell near Lithgow;
99,000 were stocked in Glenbawn Dam and 64,000 in Glennies Dam in the Hunter Valley;
30,000 were stocked in Toonumbar Dam in the Northern Rivers;
81,000 were stocked in Lake Yarrunga in Shoalhaven; and
2000 were stocked in Pejar Dam in the Southern Highlands.

Additional fish stocking will continue to occur throughout NSW over coming months through the NSW Government’s $250,000 Dollar for Dollar program, where funding from fishing clubs and community groups are matched by the Recreational Fishing Trust for the purchase of fish for stocking in approved sites from registered private hatcheries.
For more information, visit the NSW DPI website.