Over 14,000 threatened Trout Cod fingerlings have been released into the Goodradigbee River between Tumut and Canberra today by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), landholders, recreational anglers and traditional owners.

As part of the NSW Government’s commitment to support the recovery of this threatened species, the Trout Cod were successfully bred at the NSW DPI Narrandera Fisheries Centre, where there has been a breakthrough with pond spawning.

NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said this is an exciting development in the breeding of this species, with the potential to result in greater production of fish each season.

“The NSW DPI Narrandera Fisheries Centre are looking at innovative ways to achieve better success with breeding these fish, including using pond spawning techniques as Trout Cod is a difficult fish to breed, with a single female producing up to 11,000 eggs compared to a single female Murray Cod, which can release up to 90,000 eggs,” the Minister said.

Ms Moriarty said the Goodradigbee River has been a focus for conservation stocking efforts as it’s within the historical range of Trout Cod, has pristine and intact habitat including rocks, fast-flowing water, and is an unregulated part of the system with natural inflows to support recovery.

The upper catchment is largely made up of protected national parks and is free from pest species such as Carp and Redfin Perch.

Trout Cod only has a few small self-sustaining populations left in the wild in NSW and are in significant decline.

“This release into the Goodradigbee is a prime example of the conservation efforts being undertaken to recover Trout Cod in NSW,” Ms Moriarty said.

The NSW Government’s Trout Cod Action Plan is being finalised after consultation closed on 17 November. It is a 10-year roadmap identifying a suite of actions for government and community to guide the recovery of Trout Cod in NSW. 

“The coordinated Trout Cod Action Plan is guiding the recovery of this fish in NSW,” the Minister said.

Recreational fishers who come across the fish can support their recovery efforts by reporting the details on the Threatened Species website. 

For more information about NSW DPI’s threatened species projects, visit dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species

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