New facility to boost mangrove jack fish stocks

[Fitzy]

PRESS RELEASE
Primary Industries & Rural Communities, Henry Palaszczuk

05/09/02


New facility to boost mangrove jack fish stocks

TOWNSVILLE: The Queensland Government has established a new aquaculture facility to boost restocking one of the State's most prized recreational fish, mangrove jack, Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said today.

Mr Palaszczuk said the opening of the football field-size pond at the Department of Primary Industries research facility at Oonoonba in Townsville would be a major boost for restocking across north Queensland.

"Mangrove jack are energetic and powerful fighting fish. They are a very popular fish among recreational anglers," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"This pond will be the home of DPI's 32 mangrove jack broodstock, the fish responsible for spawning the thousands of fingerlings that will be eventually be released into impoundments across the state."

The pond has a capacity for a maximum of 100 mangrove jack.

Built at a cost of about $80,000, the pond will also enhance scientific research into the commercial breeding of the prized fish species which is in demand by Australian fish farmers.

"The new pond has been custom designed to allow for mangrove jack spawning and egg collection," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"Mangrove jack are notoriously territorial and successful rearing has relied on providing the fish with a large living environment."

"Tank culture, which is the practice used with many fish species, is just not practical with mangrove jack."

"Mangrove jack don't like to be handled very much, but we did seize the opportunity to weigh the fish before they were individually moved. The current brood stock range from 5 to 8.5 kilograms."

Mangrove jack are widely distributed in both estuaries and reef waters along the Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef. They also range into northern NSW, the Northern Territory and north-west Western Australia.

Media contact: Kirby Anderson (0418) 197 350

[jack_attack]

Things are looking very promising. Let's hope they have plenty of success with the program.

Bring on the jacks.

[burkey]

good day people first time in use this great sight i had a great day day out fishing this weekend 15/9/2002.i had pulled in quite a few fish at broken bay i had caught a quite a few fish on in particular this fish was brown in colour it had also the colour of the rainbow does anybody know whats this fish is. i had thrown a lot back because i did not now what it was. can anybody help thanks from burkey