News
10 July, 2025
$1,000 to help Brissie Cod thrive
The Rockygully Recreational and Angling Club Inc (RGRAC), a small community fishing club based in Coominya Village, has donated $1,000 to the Somerset Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Association (SWFSA) in support of their Brisbane River Cod Recovery Project (BRCRP).
The cheque presentation took place on June 18 during the SWFSA general meeting at the Fernvale Information Centre.
SWFSA member Gary Fitzgerald said they were grateful for the support from RGRAC. “Together our community can re-establish Cod to the Brisbane River Catchment,” he said.
The BRCRP aims to reintroduce a once-thriving species that played a vital role in the region’s aquatic ecosystems. The Brisbane River Cod, once known as the Bumgur (Blue Cod) by the Jinibara people, was native to the Brisbane River system but became extinct by the 1950s.
“It is suspected that Brisbane River Cod were very similar to the Mary River Cod, which survives in the Mary River north of the Brisbane River catchment,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
Because the original species is extinct, the project uses Mary River Cod fingerlings as a surrogate to restore the ecological niche once filled by the Brisbane River Cod. Each year, these fingerlings are released into selected locations in the Brisbane River catchment as part of a long-term strategy to establish a self-sustaining population of top predators.
Restoring species like the cod is crucial for maintaining healthy river systems. Cod help control populations of smaller fish and aquatic organisms, supporting a balanced food web. Without them, ecosystems can become unbalanced, leading to impacts on water quality, biodiversity, and overall river health.
The $1,000 donation from RGRAC will go directly toward the purchase and release of more Mary River Cod fingerlings at future stocking events.
