LAST weekend the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) teamed up with five angling clubs from the Casterton Angling Society and Glenelg Hopkins CMA to catch tandanus catfish on the
Glenelg River and release them into the Little Murray River in Northern Victoria.
Over 80 mature tandanus catfish (most 40-55cm) were caught by 60 anglers participating in
the fishing competition on the Glenelg River, where the species is in abundance but non-
endemic to the system.
The catfish were transported 400km north to the Little Murray River to help re-establish the
catfish population that was impacted by the flooding, low dissolved oxygen water levels and
fish deaths in Spring 2022.
Tandanus catfish are listed threatened native fish species and the VFA are committed to re-
establishing more populations of the species and bringing them back in abundance.
In addition to catfish, anglers removed 405 carp from the Glenelg River and caught and
released large numbers estuary perch, blackfish and tupong.
The catfish collection was so successful that the VFA, Casterton Angling Society, Glenelg
Hopkins CMA and VRFish will likely continue the initiative next year, to rebuild more
populations of catfish in Northern Victoria.
