Since 2008, a National Recovery Plan for Trout cod has been outlining and implementing a range of objectives and actions for this critically endangered species. Once widespread and abundant throughout the mid reaches of the Murray-Darling Basin, the species suffered a major decline in distribution and abundance, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s.
Recovery program
Following the development of suitable hatchery techniques in the early-mid 1980s, Trout Cod were stocked into the upper and lower reaches of the Ovens River. The Ovens River Demonstration Reach project (2008-2016) undertook an integrated approach to river rehabilitation by reinstating instream habitat, improving river connectivity through the construction of fishways, restoring riparian vegetation and increasing angler awareness.
This integrated approach to Trout cod management has resulted in successful breeding and recruitment, the presence of a broad range of fish size classes and increasing catch rates – all of which point to a sustainable Trout cod population kin the Ovens River.
Find out more about the history of the Trout cod in the Ovens River and the project to restore their population by downloading the full report.
