January 7, 2013
South Burnett anglers – and the visitors that flock to our dams – will be in for a tasty treat in a couple of years when the hundreds of thousands of fingerlings released recently into Bjelke-Petersen, Boondooma and Gordonbrook dams reach full-size.
At BP Dam, 170,000 native fish fingerlings – yellowbelly, silver perch and Australian bass – were released by the Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fish Management Committee.
At Boondooma, the Boondooma Dam Fish Stocking and Management Association Inc released 100,000 yellowbelly, 100,000 Australian Bass and 12,000 silver perch during November and December.
The association also released 30,000 Australian Bass into Gordonbrook Dam.
Stocking conditions in the three South Burnett dams have been exceptionally good due to the water levels and the weed beds that provide protection for the tiny fish from predators.
Funding for the restocking projects came from a number of sources, including the sale of fishing permits under the Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme and South Burnett Regional Council.
The Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fish Management Committee also applied for top-up funding from the Stanwell Corporate Sponsorship Program … and Stanwell were happy to oblige.
“The Tarong power stations have their fair share of keen fishers who regularly fish Bjelke-Petersen Dam, so we understand the value of the fingerling project,” Tarong power stations site manager Dennis Franklin said.
“We pay tribute to the great work that the dam management committee does to keep the dam stocked with good quality native fish.”
The South Burnett dams need periodic re-stocking as many native species only reproduce in rivers where there is a current.
Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fish Management Committee President Peter Divljak said that for each fish caught, the local community benefited from sales of fuel, ice, provisions and camping fees.
“This spending really adds up,” he said.
“With dam levels staying high, there are boats all over the water so we are trying to keep that momentum up with constant re-investment in fish stocks.”
Profits from the annual Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition assisted the Boondooma and Gordonbrook re-stocking projects.
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The 2013 Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition will be held on February 9-10.
Nominations for the event open at noon on Friday, February 8, at the competition headquarters at Lake Boondooma.
The Boondooma Dam Fish Stocking and Management Association has released about 3.951 million fingerlings into Lake Boondooma since 1983.
[Photos: Boondooma Dam Fish Stocking and Management Association & Stanwell]
