Lake Bonney restocked with around 600 Murray cod
Many of the fish are ready to breed, while an ecologist says their return could improve habitat and water quality.
RecFish SA has coordinated the return of around 600 Murray cod to Lake Bonney at Barmera in South Australia's Riverland, including mature fish capable of breeding. The state government and its newly established Recreational Fishing Authority backed the project.
The organisation's chief executive, Asher Dezsery, said the fish measured up to a metre and would provide breeding stock as well as an attraction for recreational fishers. He said earlier cod populations had disappeared following poor water quality, isolation from the river and fish kills.
Charles Sturt University ecology associate professor Paul Humphries said cod could reshape habitat and improve water quality. However, he questioned how much difference the release would make to carp numbers, given their prolific breeding and the cod's preference for main river channels.
Ngintait elder Norman Wilson described the cultural importance of both the species and the lake. He hoped some cod would enter the river system and believed they would later return to breed.
Berri Barmera Council mayor Ella Winnall helped put fish into the lake during an early October event. She said the opportunity to catch cod would give visitors another reason to come to Barmera and Lake Bonney.
Murray cod cannot be targeted during their breeding season. South Australia's catch-and-release season for the species reopens on 1 January 2027.
