THE NSW Government is committed to recover trout cod populations in NSW, with the draft Trout Cod Action Plan 2023-2033 now open for public consultation.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) deputy director general Fisheries, Sean Sloan, said the draft roadmap has been developed to provide a clear path forward for long-term recovery of this iconic native species.
“The draft plan includes short, medium and long-term priority actions to transition towards de-listing Trout Cod as a threatened species,” Sloan said.
“Trout cod only have a few small self-sustaining populations left in the wild in NSW and are in significant decline; without a coordinated approach to recovering the species, there is a real risk of extinction in NSW.
“The goal of the draft action plan is to re-establish viable Trout Cod populations in priority areas across their former range to once again support cultural and recreational fisheries over the long term.
“Recovery of a threatened species like Trout Cod doesn’t happen overnight – it takes a coordinated approach between the government and our communities.
“Don’t miss this opportunity to have your say on the actions to support recovery of this key threatened species over the next 10 years.”
In addition to the Have Your Say website, DPI Fisheries staff will also be undertaking a roadshow during November to consult directly with First Nation and recreational fishing communities on the draft action plan at key locations including Barooga, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst and Queanbeyan.
The public consultation will be open for five weeks, closing on Friday 17 November.
To view the draft Trout Cod Action Plan 2023-2033 and to provide feedback, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/draft-trout-cod-action-plan-2023-2033
NSW DPI also wants to encourage recreational fishers to report sightings of trout cod on the DPI website at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species/report-it