Local tender hooks barramundi project
Submitted by Colin Hay on Mon, 2012-02-27 09:28
The project funding was announced in the 2011-12 State Budget as part of the $2.3million allocation to the Department of Fisheries to deliver its part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said developing the barramundi fishery close to Kununurra would boost recreational fishing and create a valuable asset for regional tourism in the East Kimberley.
“Restocking will help re-establish barramundi in this area and has the potential to create a world-class ‘trophy’ barramundi fishery which is the envy of the world,” Mr Moore said.
“Many recreational fishers dream of catching a barramundi in Western Australia’s north and this innovative project will now be brought a step closer to reality for recreational fishers.
“The peak representative body of recreational fishing, Recfishwest, has given its full support to the project, which it called ‘a superb initiative’.”
The first round of stocking is expected to take place later this year. It will take two to three years before the barramundi are of legal minimum size - 550mm - to catch.
The Minister said the Kimberley Training Institute (formerly Kimberley TAFE) would become responsible for releasing hundreds of thousands of juvenile barramundi (fingerlings) into Lake Kununurra in the next four years.
“Barramundi released into Lake Kununurra as part of the project will be tagged and monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the restocking program,” he said.
Lake Kununurra is a 56km stretch of flooded river channel, created in 1963 after the completion of the Diversion Dam for the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
The dam wall created an obstacle to barramundi which migrate upstream every wet season.
Fact File
Mon 27 February, 2012
Local tender hooks barramundi projectPortfolio: Fisheries
- $700,000 project to restock Lake Kununurra with barramundi over four years
- East Kimberley tourism and recreational fishing to benefit
- Restocking program to provide valuable research
The Kimberley Training Institute has successfully tendered for the State Government’s $700,000 four-year project to restock Lake Kununurra with barramundi.
The project funding was announced in the 2011-12 State Budget as part of the $2.3million allocation to the Department of Fisheries to deliver its part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said developing the barramundi fishery close to Kununurra would boost recreational fishing and create a valuable asset for regional tourism in the East Kimberley.
“Restocking will help re-establish barramundi in this area and has the potential to create a world-class ‘trophy’ barramundi fishery which is the envy of the world,” Mr Moore said.
“Many recreational fishers dream of catching a barramundi in Western Australia’s north and this innovative project will now be brought a step closer to reality for recreational fishers.
“The peak representative body of recreational fishing, Recfishwest, has given its full support to the project, which it called ‘a superb initiative’.”
The first round of stocking is expected to take place later this year. It will take two to three years before the barramundi are of legal minimum size - 550mm - to catch.
The Minister said the Kimberley Training Institute (formerly Kimberley TAFE) would become responsible for releasing hundreds of thousands of juvenile barramundi (fingerlings) into Lake Kununurra in the next four years.
“Barramundi released into Lake Kununurra as part of the project will be tagged and monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the restocking program,” he said.
Lake Kununurra is a 56km stretch of flooded river channel, created in 1963 after the completion of the Diversion Dam for the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
The dam wall created an obstacle to barramundi which migrate upstream every wet season.
Fact File
- For the North Coast Region recreational fishing guide go to
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Faulkner Family
Posts: 18023
Date Joined: 11/03/08
one thing tho. will this
one thing tho. will this area sustain the numbers of barra they are going to release into the dam. if it works good but if it fails it will be a costly mistake. but i supose if you never never givit a go you will never never know
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
This is great news..... about
This is great news..... about time. When you look at the impoundment barra in Qld, why was this not done 20 years ago.
Wes F
Posts: 1067
Date Joined: 07/01/12
Is this just limited to Lake
Is this just limited to Lake Kununurra or can the barra swim up to the Ord dam via over flow?
Old fishermen never die they just smell that way.
PJAY
Posts: 1005
Date Joined: 12/05/09
the fish will be limited to
the fish will be limited to lake kununurra........spillway creek which feeds into lake kununurra is another area they will be able to travel into however they wont be able to get into lake argyle......
The Kimberley....perfect one day and more perfect the next!!!
PJAY
Posts: 1005
Date Joined: 12/05/09
the fish will be limited to
the fish will be limited to lake kununurra........spillway creek which feeds into lake kununurra is another area they will be able to travel into however they wont be able to get into lake argyle......
The Kimberley....perfect one day and more perfect the next!!!
barramike
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 18/09/11
I am a kununurra local and
I am a kununurra local and have been reading a bit about the fish stocking, which will be another great boost to the toursim sector in town...hopefully no tour operators will be allowed to fish this area and just leave it for the recreational fisherman...I just have one question how are there stopping the barra from going thru the dam walls..I haven't seen anything mentioned about this yet.
Simbiotic
Posts: 12
Date Joined: 26/01/13
Barra over the walls
I grew up in North QLD, near Lake Tinnaroo which was stocked with barra for years.
Every wet season the barra used to swim over the dam wall, and get smashed up at the bottom.
In the end, they got a big government grant to build a net with floats to be permanently installed about 50 out from the dam wall.
It at least prevented the big ones from going over the edge.
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
I heard there was 30 thousand
I heard there was 30 thousand fingerlings released. Surely they will be lost in a lake that big?