MACKAY Recreational Fishers Alliance (MRFA) have announced a $50 Bounty on all peacock bass caught in the Lower Pioneer River or Goose Ponds, Queenland.
This has been done in an attempt to eradicate this pest fish out of local waters. Fish captured can be bought to Tackle World, Mackay. The $50 will be given in a gift voucher that is redeemable at either Tackle World Mackay or Reef Marine.
Conditions are that the fish must be 300 mm in size or larger. A photo with the exact location of capture as well as the contact details of the angler must also be provided.
The fish will be given to the Department of Fisheries for DNA testing. The MRFA are asking that people don’t submit fish out of fish tanks. This offer will be valid for 3 months or until funds have been exhausted. The MRFA say they are hoping to educate our younger anglers as well as eradicate this exotic fish species out of their local waters.
Penalties apply of up to $260 000 for anyone introducing non-indigenous fish into our waters.
Note: The reason for the 30 cm mininum size is that the MRFA believes that only mature fish have been recently released. They do not want people emptying fish tanks of smaller fish and saying they were caught in the wild. If a small one is caught we would still like to know about it. It must be dispatched and not returned alive.
