Introduction

The Gladstone Area Water Board (supported by Gladstone Ports Corporation Ltd) operates a modern marine fish hatchery for the purpose of supplying fingerlings to restock Lake Awoonga, Gladstone’s principal water storage. The aims of this project are threefold:

• to return fish species to the Boyne River which have been displaced by construction of the dam wall
  
  
• to provide a high quality recreational fishery in the Gladstone region; and
  
  
• to encourage recreational use of the lake.

The hatchery is one of the largest breeders of barramundi fingerlings in Queensland and the mangrove jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga holding the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released.

The hatchery is situated at the corner of Lord and Glenlyon Streets on the bank of Auckland Inlet, Gladstone and currently employs four  full-time staff who together run the hatchery and monitor and manage the Lake Awoonga fishery.

Purchasing

This link will take you to the current Price List for fingerlings, however confirmation of current availability can only be obtained by contacting the hatchery direct.

Stocking and monitoring of Lake Awoonga began in the early 1980s, and was carried out by local stocking groups and under the Queensland Department of Primary Industries’ Recreational Fishery Enhancement Program. Restocking at this time saw almost 250,000 fingerlings released into Lake Awoonga. Many of these species are no longer permitted to be released due to new translocation legislation.

Because this stocking effort met with limited success, in 1991 GAWB commissioned consultants to survey the lake and make recommendations on future stocking. The consultant’s report concluded that stocked species were not a significant component of the fishery and highlighted the large number of predators present which presumably were reducing survival rates. The recommendations from this were that barramundi be stocked as the principal species due to its rapid growth, high survival potential and competitive nature.

After consultation with DPI the decision was made to establish a hatchery to supply the large number and genetic strain of fingerlings required, and in January 1996 the first barramundi were released into Lake Awoonga.

Total numbers of fish stocked in Lake Awoonga are as follows:

Monitoring

Hatchery staff carry out a monitoring program for stocked species in the dam. The information gathered to date enables growth rates and population estimates to be made for barramundi, as well as general health, dispersal, feeding preferences and patterns, and preferred habitat.