Freshwater fish stocking
Freshwater fish stocking in Queensland is the process of releasing young fish (fingerlings) into dams, weirs and rivers to:
- enhance and maintain fisheries
- help threatened freshwater fish species recover.
Fish are stocked in Queensland public waters under permit by:
- community-based fish stocking groups that have stocking permits
- other approved organisations, such as local government.
Impounded waters, such as dams, need to be continually restocked because most stocked species will not reproduce there.
Funding
The Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme (SIPS) provides funding for stocking groups at more than 60 impoundments in Queensland.
Fish stocking groups also raise funds in the community to stock non-SIPS dams, weirs and rivers.
Governance
The Queensland Fish Stocking Action Plan aims to deliver world-class freshwater fisheries in Queensland that facilitate fishing for sport, relaxation and food, while supporting the conservation of freshwater fish.
Fish stocking is managed under the Fish Stocking in Queensland policy (PDF, 3 MB).
You need a fish stocking permit if you represent a registered stocking group that wants to introduce fingerlings to Queensland waters (other than private non-tidal waters not on a waterway), including into any dam, stream or other publicly owned waterway.
The 2009 to 2018 annual records tracked the number and species of fish stocked in Queensland waters.
Stocking trials
For a new species to be added to the fish stocking program, it must be able to produce a viable stocked impoundment fishery and present a low risk to the environment and existing fisheries.
Stocking trials are planned for:
- giant trevally and bigeye trevally (subtropical Central Queensland and tropical North Queensland)—read the preliminary risk assessment for giant trevally and bigeye trevally
- jungle perch (south-eastern Queensland).
Workshop
The Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Workshop was held on 26 and 28 July 2024. The workshop proceedings and action plan inform the management of freshwater fisheries for the next 2 years.