NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) today joined local landholders, recreational anglers and traditional owners to release over 14,000 threatened Trout Cod fingerlings into the Goodradigbee River between Tumut and Canberra.
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.
This is an exciting development in the breeding of this species, with the potential to result in greater production of fish each season.
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.
The NSW Government's Trout Cod Action Plan is currently being finalised after consultation closed on November 17, 2023. It is a 10-year roadmap identifying a suite of actions for Government and community to guide the recovery of Trout Cod in NSW.
Recreational fishers who come across Trout Cod can support their recovery efforts by reporting the details on the Threatened Species website.
