Freshwater fish stocking

Freshwater fish stocking in Queensland is the process of releasing young fish (fingerlings) into dams, weirs and rivers to:

• enhance and maintain fisheries
• help threatened freshwater fish species recover.

Fish are stocked in Queensland public waters under permit by:

• community-based fish stocking groups that have stocking permits
• other approved organisations such as local government.

Impounded waters such as dams need to be continually restocked because most stocked species will not reproduce there.

Funding

The Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme (SIPS) provides funding for stocking groups at more than 60 impoundments in Queensland.

Fish stocking groups also raise funds in the community to stock non-SIPS dams, weirs and rivers.

Governance

The Queensland fish stocking action plan aims to deliver world-class freshwater fisheries in Queensland that facilitate fishing for sport, relaxation and food, while supporting the conservation of freshwater fish.

Fish stocking is managed under the fish stocking in Queensland policy (PDF, 3 MB).

You need a fish stocking permit if you represent a registered stocking group that wants to introduce fingerlings to Queensland waters (other than private non-tidal waters not on a waterway), including into any dam, stream or other publicly owned waterway.

The 2009 to 2018 annual records tracked the number and species of fish stocked in Queensland waters.

Workshop

The Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Workshop was held on 15 and 16 October 2022. The workshop proceedings and action plan inform the management of freshwater fisheries for the next 2 years.