F_W_2015_02_

When the first reports of barramundi being
caught on the Gold Coast turned up in 2009,
it was attributed to the release of aquarium
fish. I’ve kept barra in a tank for years, and
the only truism is that they start small and
then eat everything else in the tank until only
one barra is left. They also grow fast. I’m sure
plenty of these pet barramundi have been
released over the years but with the increasing
numbers of big barra turning up in our
waterways it seems unlikely that these
escapees could account for the recent increase
in reported captures. Interestingly, when the
dams f looded and thousands of fish went over
the wall in Awoonga, Monduran and
Lenthalls dams several years ago, a massive
population of adult barra was suddenly
f lushed into coastal tidal estuaries close to the
southern limit of what was previously
considered the barramundi’s geographical
range. It’s possible that these fish migrated
further south on inshore currents and boosted

the populations of wild barramundi at the

very limit of their natural range. This boost in

population may have effectively pushed the

fringes of that population even further south.

The key factor that limits the southern range

of barramundi is winter water temperature.

This was well illustrated a few years ago when

during a particularly dry spell the levels of

water in Callide Dam near Biloela were very

low and the temp dropped to less than 13

degrees. This killed every barra in Callide

Dam, a disaster for the local fish stocking

association but a clear illustration as to why

barra can’t tolerate colder southern waterways.

The Gold Coast estuaries can get cold in the

winter but rarely drop below about 17 degrees,

so it is possible that barra could survive all year

in local waters.

While it’s hard to predict how viable the

barramundi population on the Gold Coast

actually is, the steady increase in the number of

captures over the past few years is quite exciting

for local anglers. It will get even more exciting

when a few crocs turn up!

fishingworld.com.au | February 2015 | 57

hile it’s hard to predict how viable the barramundi

population on the Gold Coast actually is, the steady

increase in the number of captures over the past few years

is quite exciting for local anglers. It will get even more

exciting when a few crocs turn up!”

W

RLCBTL

TACKLURE

RLSTTM

MORAY

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