The team from the Grafton Fisheries Centre, a hatchery dedicated to threatened species conservation in northern NSW, has released 1000 advanced sized Eastern Freshwater Cod into the Upper Clarence.
These Eastern Freshwater Cod (known locally as the Clarence River Cod) were bred at the Grafton Fisheries Centre from broodstock collected from the Nymboida-Mann River. DPIRD Fisheries is running a three-year trial to see if stocking bigger EFCs results in better survival in the wild, with monitoring part funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust.
The standard hatchery practice is to keep hatchery-bred fish for 2-3 months before releasing them. As part of this trial, these fish were kept in our ponds at Grafton Fisheries Centre for over seven months.
Eastern Freshwater Cod is a threatened species in NSW and is currently listed as Endangered. As part of its protection, fishing for this species is illegal – if you accidentally catch one, do not remove it from the water and release it immediately.
If you see an Eastern Freshwater Cod in the wild, please let us know by filling out the form here.