Narrandera Could Hold Rescued Murray Cod

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are taking steps to relocate stressed Murray Cod from the pool immediately downstream of Weir 32 near the Menindee township.  

If the fish are able to be safely removed, they will be either released further downstream in the Lower Darling near Wentworth or taken to the Narrandera Fisheries Centre, to regain health for future breeding and re-stocking purposes that will directly benefit the native fish community of the Lower Darling River.

A variety of methods would be used to rescue the fish, including nets to confine the fish to an area and scoop nets to lift them carefully from the water.
The rescued fish will travel by road in the DPI Fisheries fish stocking truck, which is aerated and temperature monitored.

Relocating fish is not a preferred solution because of the additional pressure it places on already stressed fish.

However, DPI Fisheries made the decision to proceed with this relocation due to the need for WaterNSW to cease flows from Weir 32 in the near future to maintain town water supply.

This would leave the Murray Cod even more susceptible to stress from low levels of dissolved oxygen.