A RECORD number of native fish have been released into the Bremer River, including an estimated 18,000 Mary River Cod.

The aim of releases such as this is to improve native fish populations while improving the river’s biodiversity.

Cr Russell Milligan said this was the biggest release of Mary River cod into the Bremer and was another milestone for council’s Waterway Health Strategy.

“Not only are we contributing to the recovery of the Mary River cod, but we are also adding greater diversity to the fish communities of the Bremer River while boosting the future prospects of cod becoming re-established in the catchment,” he said.

“The Mary River cod is a large endemic species growing over a metre in length and as one of Australia’s most endangered fish, they are only found in a few waterways in South East Queensland.

“They are a protected species with stocking efforts over the last 10 years focussed on increasing their distribution to new waterways to establish new conservation populations.

“The Bremer River was historically filled with Brisbane River cod, which were driven to extinction by the early settlers of the Greater Brisbane region in the early 1900s.

“This formal stocking represents the first time that large numbers of freshwater cod will have occupied the Bremer since they were lost 100 years ago.

“Being such a large-bodied fish, these adult cod will contribute to the management of pest fish in the system such as tilapia and carp.”