Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => News Views & Press Releases => Topic started by: Editor on March 04, 2013, 11:11:49 PM
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Queensland Government
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
4 March 2013
Jungle perch on the comeback trail
Researchers at the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) Bribie Island Research Centre have bred the first ever, captive jungle perch fingerlings.
Research leader Dr Michael Hutchison said the 35mm fingerlings were reared from fertilised eggs through to a size suitable for stocking into rivers over a period of 60 days.
“Previously no larvae have been reared beyond six days old and a few millimetres long,” Dr Hutchison said.
“Over the years, jungle perch have become very scarce but now there is the potential to reintroduce this species to rivers in South-eastern Queensland and in the Mackay-Whitsunday region.
“There are still significant challenges ahead to improve early larval survival and the production of sufficient quantities of fingerlings for viable restocking, but we have made tremendous progress to reach this point.
“This breakthrough is very exciting news not only for the sustainability of the species, but for the broader community and recreational fishers.
“Restocking our rivers with jungle perch would provide a big boost to local recreational fishing.”
Jungle perch are an iconic angling fish reaching more than 3kg in weight. Their habitat includes coastal rivers and streams from Cape York to Northern New South Wales. They spend most of their life in freshwater but migrate to salt water to spawn.
The jungle perch project is co-funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. On completion, the production technology will be provided to private commercial hatcheries.
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excellent news.
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Excellent news indeed :youbeauty
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You bloody bewdy :Clap)
Can we get stocking groups to switch species in our lakes soon and replace with jungle perch in the near future?
Murray darling fish out, jungle perch in.
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A great effort by Hutcho & his team. JP revival can't happen too soon for SE Qld. It goes without saying that the reason's for JP decline have not been addressed, this would be the best case scenario. But I can't see them demolishing weirs, dams and removing tens of thousands of houses / estates from waterway edges so...........
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Can SWFSA get 100,000 or so please.
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When they get them to a stage where survival to this size is almost certain will the stocking be still so selective as to not stock in creeks and rivers with weirs and barriers ?
I know its a legitimate reason to not if they are aiming for self sustaining populations, BUT will stocked impoundments ever see them released in SEQ Queensland ?
Best photo i have seen of a JP for a long time!
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Have been corresponding with persons attached to this project... there is a possibility of some wild river restocking of these this season. Fingers crossed for optimal conditions and outcome for the JP Team, they've worked long and hard on this project.
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Good on ya Hutcho :yourock - you know its a good news day when you see positive stories about Jungle Perch and Macquarie Perch on the same day... there is hope.. :'(