Fish stocks in the Macquarie River received a boost yesterday when 9000 Murray Cod fingerlings were released from the boat ramp at Rotary Park.

The release is an annual initiative between Narromine council, Macquarie Cotton Growers and NSW Department of Fisheries.

Narromine Shire Council contributed $1500 towards the release, Macquarie Cotton Growers contributed $1500 and Department of NSW Fisheries gave $3000.

Leigh Logan from Murray Darling Fisheries said the cod usually spawn with flooding, and as there hasn’t been too much of that in recent years, restocking is a way of bringing the numbers back.

He said the fish can also help to keep carp numbers down.

“They will help reduce carp numbers once they get to 500g,” he said.

“Once they get big they’ll eat anything - ducks, large fish, turtles, they are vicious predators and will even eat each other.

“At this time of year with this level of river flow there should be plenty of food for them,” he said.

“The survival rate should be pretty good.”

The fingerlings should reach the legal fishing size of 55cm in two years, but Mr Logan said he was hoping the legal size would be increased to 60cm to give the cod more chance to breed.

“With restocking and changing the legal size I’m sure we’ll start to see an increase in fish numbers,” he said.

Mr Logan said the fish tended to mature to the breeding size of roughly 60cm within three to four years.

He said the biggest Murray Cod ever caught was 110kg, but most would grow to between 30 and 40 kilograms depending on the quality and the amount of food available in the water.

Narromine mayor Dawn Collins said the release of fingerlings into the river was a great initiative by the council.

“I think it’s great the children get involved too because it’s something they don’t often get to see,” she said.

“Hopefully all these fisherman can catch the fish in a couple of years.”

Source: Narromine News