HUNDREDS of tagged yearling Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout have been released into Khancoban Pondage, in NSW’s alpine region, as part of a long-term stocking strategy to combat noxious redfin.
The trout and salmon measured about 20-25 cm and were produced at DPI’s Gaden and Dutton trout hatcheries. Stocking fish of this size should increase survival rates as they will likely be too big to be eaten by predatory redfin, which have been illegally introduced into the Khancoban system.
This latest stocking of 100 salmon and 600 rainbows adds to the 900 rainbow trout stocked into Khancoban in 2018
Tag returns have shown that 12 per cent of this initial stocking effort has been recaptured with half of those fish being captured downstream in the Swampy Plain River.
In more stocking news, Lake Oberon, in the state’s Central West, will soon receive its third annual release of tagged yearling size trout. These fish will join previous stockings of native fish such as Murray cod and yellowbelly and will hopefully form the basis of a unique “mixed” fishery!
And Lake Lyell, a very popular dam near Lithgow, will also be stocked with larger tagged trout as part of DPI’s anti-redfin initiative.
Fishos who land any of these tagged fish will be rewarded with an Oar Gee “Little Ripper” lure in return for their capture information. Info received will help determine survival and growth rates of stocked fish and can be lodged online HERE or by phoning 1800 185 027.
