Members of Queensland’s Fraser Coast Fish Stocking Association recently undertook a fish rescue mission at Lenthalls Dam. The fish in question were 22 barramundi that had found their way over the dam’s wall and were trapped in a stilling basin below.
To facilitate a rescue the FCFSA firstly received permission from Wide Bay Water to gain access below the dam where the fish had been trapped since the last spillway overflow.
Wide Bay Water also engaged a consultant who provided electrofishing equipment to assist with the effort.
A net was run across the top of the basin to stop the fish from fleeing the shallows before they could be forced into landing nets and carried back up to the dam. A steep climb out of the basin area made the latter job quite an effort for the rescuers involved.
This is the second time the Fraser Coast Fish Stocking Association has been involved in a fish rescue mission at Lenthalls Dam. Participants said the job was more difficult this time due to the size of the fish which ranged between 300mm and 850mm .
*Photos supplied courtesy of Paul Dolan & Alan Manson FCFSA
