Tag: barramundi

‘Barradise’ buzz builds for 2025 Apex Recfishwest Kununurra Barra Bash

The East Kimberley town of Kununurra is again set to host WA’s biggest fishing competition when the Apex Recfishwest Kununurra Barra Bash returns for its 27th year from 25–28 September – in the article below, Recfishwest Communications Coordinator Jarrad Lawford takes a look at the story behind the competition and what makes Kununurra such a must-go destination for avid barra fishers and travelling families alike.

It may be 11 hours’ drive from Broome and far off the beaten track for many WA fishers, but last year’s event drew a staggering 1,412 entrants – smashing the 2023 record by more than 300. That makes the Barra Bash the largest fishing comp in the State, bigger in terms of participants even than Exmouth’s GAMEX, Onslow’s Mack10K or Busselton’s Mandalay beach classic.

There was a record-breaking 1,400+ people at last year’s Barra Bash and that record isn’t safe this year!

A community-run celebration

Run entirely by volunteers from the Apex Club of Kununurra, the Barra Bash is proudly inclusive and family-friendly. More than 300 juniors took part last year alongside mums, dads and keen fishers from across Australia. With thousands of dollars in prizes on the line – including a $10,000 mystery cash prize for any barra over 55cm – the 2025 event is shaping up to be another huge success.

“This is a great competition showcasing the fantastic fishing on offer in the East Kimberley and is run by the Kununurra community for the benefit of the community,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “If you want to experience fishing for a true Aussie icon in a spectacular setting, we encourage you to come and join in the fun.”

Big fish in big country

Thanks to the 1.5 million barramundi stocked into Lake Kununurra since 2013, the waterway has become renowned for producing trophy-sized barra at an astonishing rate. With abundant food and a unique environment, the average “small” barra tips 70cm, while fish pushing 130cm are regularly caught – and they’re still growing.

Local angler Jack Furzer, who moved his family from Broome to Kununurra, landed and released a 1.41m barra earlier this year, followed by another measuring 1.37m just weeks later. “It’s mind-blowing that these barra go from fingerlings to metries in six to eight years,” said Jack. His tip? Fish a couple of days either side of the full moon with an Irukandji Sicario lure.

“I’ve only got one of these colours left that keeps landing the bigger fish, so now every time I hook a monster, I’m terrified I’ll lose it,” he laughed.

Jack Furzer’s monster 140cm+ barra landed this year from the banks of Lake Kununurra.

Safe place, great event for all the family

Unlike many barra fisheries across the north, Lake Kununurra is saltwater croc-free and tide-free, making it safer and more accessible. That accessibility helped draw hundreds of juniors into last year’s event – giving kids and families a chance to experience one of WA’s most exciting fisheries without the risks faced elsewhere.

It’s also a major boost for the local community. The Barra Bash is the biggest event on Kununurra’s calendar, bringing visitors, tourism dollars and social value that goes far beyond the fishing itself.

Lake Kununurra is one of the most safe, accessible and family-friendly places to fish for barra that are growing at remarkably fast speeds. Photo credit: Paul Cunningham.

A perfect partnership

Organiser Aaron Macnamara credited the event’s success to great fishing, accessibility and strong community backing. “Apex Kununurra is thrilled to have Recfishwest on board again as the naming rights sponsor,” he said. “Their support helps us continue the Barra Bash’s reign as one of WA’s premier fishing events.”

With a $25,000 Sea Jay tinny door prize simply for entering, great prizes, big barra and unbeatable East Kimberley scenery, expectations are sky high for 2025.

As for Jack’s lucky coloured Irukundji Sicario DTF lure? “All I’ll say is it’s dark in colour,” said Jack.

Join us in Kununurra from 25 – 28 September for the 2025 Apex Recfishwest Barra Bash – a celebration of fishing, family and ‘barradise’ in the East Kimberley.

This is an abridged version of a full length feature written by Jarrad which appears in the Spring edition of Western Angler magazine, available in all good newsagents and stockists.

Click here for visitor info on Kununurra and click here for fishing info on Lake Kununurra.

Recfishwest proud to be announced as naming sponsors for Kununurra Apex Barra Bash – WA’s biggest fishing comp!

Set against the spectacular backdrop of the East Kimberley, the Recfishwest Apex Kununurra Barra Bash returns from 25-28 September – and Recfishwest is proud to be this year’s naming rights sponsor of WA’s biggest and most iconic fishing comp. 

Now in its 27th year, the Barra Bash has grown into a much-loved celebration of barra fishing, community spirit and outback adventure – attracting more than 1,400 anglers from across WA and beyond in 2024, making it the State’s biggest fishing competition. 

It’s a unique opportunity to experience the region’s top-class barramundi fishing – from the productive waters of the Lower Ord to the barra-rich Lake Kununurra, which has recently delivered monsters of over 140cm thanks to a decade of fish stocking efforts. 

Free from saltwater crocs and not affected by the Kimberley’s big tides, Lake Kununurra offers safe, accessible, year-round barra fishing for anglers of all ages and skill levels – from first-timers to seasoned anglers chasing their next “metrey”. 

With a postcard-esque backdrop and highly accessible fish like this, it’s no wonder the Barra Bash has quickly ascended to become to highest attended fishing competition in WA history.

Run by volunteers from the Apex Club of Kununurra, the Barra Bash is proudly inclusive and family-friendly, with more than 300 juniors, many women and participants from a wide background fishing last year.  

With thousands of dollars in prizes up for grabs – including a $10,000 mystery cash draw awarded to anyone who catches a barra above 55cm – this year’s turnout is shaping up to be another big one. 

“This is a great competition showcasing the fantastic fishing on offer in the East Kimberley and is run by the Kununurra community for the benefit of the community,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “Recfishwest has always been keen supporters of this event and we are proud to be this year’s naming sponsor hopefully helping make it an even bigger and better event.” 

Organiser Aaron Macnamara credited the event’s notoriety to the great fishing and easy accessibility on offer, along with the great prizes up for grabs.  

“Apex Kununurra is thrilled to have Recfishwest on board as the naming rights sponsor for this 27th Apex Barra Bash. Their support is a huge boost to help continue the Barra Bash’s reign as one of the premier fishing events in WA and it’s a perfect match for our shared passion of fishing, community and the East Kimberley’s stunning waterways,” said Aaron. 

“The Kimberley’s biggest lucky door prize is on again this year with five huge lucky door prizes on offer simply for entering the event. The major door prize is a Sea Jay 448 Magnum2 Xpack tinny and 50HP Suzuki outboard motor combo valued at over $25,000. There is also a $10,000 CFMoto CF400 quad bike to give away so come down and enter for your chance to win!”  

Many Kimberley locals have said this 1.41m-long beast of a barra landed by avid fisher and Kununurra local Jack Furzer @good_dhu_dhu in April is one of the biggest ever caught, with this fish safely released after a quick snap.

 

State record smashed again by Barra Bash with 1,400+ anglers and epic catches!

For the second year running, this weekend’s Apex Kununurra Barra Bash has smashed the State record for most entrants in a fishing competition with 1,412 anglers registering for the popular community fundraising angling extravaganza!

The East Kimberley competition has gone from strength to strength in recent years attracting all ages (more than 300 juniors), genders, backgrounds and fishing abilities with anglers coming from as far as Tasmania to participate!

And despite high tides and the odd tropical downpour, the fishing did not disappoint with 393 barra entered – five of which were over the magic metre mark – with the biggest fish caught by Ben Quinlivan measuring in at a hefty 1.085m.

The comp, supported by a Recfishwest community grant, also had 207 catfish entered – one measuring 1.1m falling to Kelly Ejai – along with 136 sooty grunter.

IF YOU WANT TO GET AMONGST THE EPIC FISHING THE EAST KIMBERLEY HAS TO OFFER – MAKE A PLAN TO VISIT KUNUNURRA FOR THE BARRA BASH IN SEPTEMBER 2025

The awards ceremony was filled with excitement as local lad Harry Flatt won the 4.18m Seajay Creek Masta with a 30HP Suzuki engine, while Susan Swan claimed a luxury three-night stay at Kimberley Coastal Camp for the mystery barra prize. A Quadbike and other great prizes added to the draw, with the modest entry fee of $60 for seniors and free for juniors, making it a hit for fishing families.

Ben Quinlivan’s winning brilliant barra fell to a popper – imagine the BOFFFF!

Organiser Aaron Macnamara credited the event’s success to the high-quality competition and fantastic fishing on offer. “We’re thrilled to have smashed the record with 300 more entrants this year,” he said. “It’s become a destination event with participants from across the country including Broome and the NT and as far away as Tassie. The Lower Ord and the lake are fishing brilliantly, offering plenty of great, accessible spots for anglers.”

“It’s a really great event for the town and we’ve got to thank our incredible sponsors. As our main fundraiser for the year, the event growth has meant we’ve been able to donate more than $75,000 to the community over the last couple of years from the proceeds of entry fees, shirt and food sales – so it’s a win-win-win for everyone.”

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland praised the Apex team for their efforts, highlighting the event’s role in supporting regional communities and the benefits of the long-running barra stocking program in Kununurra. “The Barra Bash keeps getting better and shows how vital fishing is to Kununurra. Long may it continue!”

The Apex Barra Bash continues to be Kununurra’s social event of the year with hundreds of anglers flocking from all over the country to the East Kimberley town with the awards ceremony the highlight of the event for many.

Booming barra fishery in the East Kimberley draws biggest ever WA fishing competition

Barramundi mania took hold in Kununurra this past weekend with 1,125 anglers entering the East Kimberley town’s 25th annual Apex Barra Bash making it the biggest fishing tournament in WA history.

It is the first weekend fishing event in WA to crack the 1,000-entrant mark, with Marmion Marine Angling Club’s Bluewater Classic being the closest reaching just over 990 in previous years.

The Barra Bash, taking place from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, saw 379 barramundi entered using the Track My Fish app allowing competitors to upload their snaps of captured fish on a “brag mat” and release it to fight another day.

The biggest fish was a whopping 1.2 metre “donkey” barra caught by Karl Manning with four “metreys” and more than 10 barra over 90cm caught over the course of the weekend.

Competitors could fish anywhere, but many fish were caught close to town – 1.4 million fish have been stocked into Lake Kununurra over the last decade through a stocking program run in partnership between Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group, North Regional TAFE, Recfishwest and the State Government.

These fish appear to be well spread throughout the Ord River system, making great barra fishing accessible both on the lake and in the lower river both on boats and from the banks.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Huge credit must go to the Apex team for running WA’s biggest annual fishing competition. The fishing in the Ord River system is as good as it has ever been as this weekend’s comp has demonstrated.

“The annual Barra Bash reflects how important this fishery and fishing is for regional communities like Kununurra.”

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland got in amongst the red hot barra action, landing this beauty in a picturesque section of the Lower Ord.

Apex Kununurra President Aaron Macnamara said the attendance for this year’s competition had surpassed all expectations, with many participants travelling from all over WA and even interstate to take part in the event.

“We were rushed off our feet registering people for the comp all morning on Friday,” he said. “It was way beyond what we could have hoped for and we had run out of brag mats by Friday afternoon! We all put our hearts and soul into running it and it is a pretty cool that a small country town in the Kimberley can lay claim to running the biggest ever fishing comp in WA!”

“It’s a great celebration of fishing for our community and we are really grateful to all the local organisations and businesses, Recfishwest and Horizon Power for helping make it such a great event.”

Kununurra’s Rick Bolten had travelled back from Queensland where he is studying veterinary science to fish in the competition and was awarded with a 1.03m barra of a lifetime, caught from a spot on the Lower Ord.

“The fight was insane – the fish ran up and downstream and finally we got it to the side and my mate Fraser got the lip grips on it and got her in. We got a few quick snaps and released her to fight another day,” said Rick.

“Stocking the lake has changed the game – the lake was a pretty good fishery anyway with the catfish and sooty grunter, but getting those barra in has been the missing piece of the puzzle. The fishing has been next level in recent years and a lot of those fish when they’re bigger get pushed down into the Lower Ord – so the whole system has benefitted. Having this quality of fishing in and around town is pretty special.”

The event raised close to $30,000 for local community projects and drew in more than $70,000 in prize sponsorship including a Sea Jay 468 Avenger aluminum boat star door prize valued at $40,000 with a 60hp Suzuki engine donated by Ord Mechanical Services.

Check out some of the great snaps from the 2023 Apex Kununurra Barra bash below!

42,000 barra released into Lake Kununurra in fish stocking “mission impossible”

Neither biblical floods, nor their trailer rear wheel axle falling off, could stop Broome’s North Regional TAFE aquaculture team making an epic 1,000km/20 hour-long journey to release 42,000 barramundi all around 62 days-old into their new home, Lake Kununurra!

North Regional TAFE Acting Hatchery Manager Milton Williams and his team had been tasked with delivering the latest batch of 100,000 barra they had reared as part of the ongoing Lake Kununurra stocking program that has seen more than 1.3 million fish stocked into the fishery since 2013.

With the cyclonic floods taking out Fitzroy Bridge and with no other river crossing options available initially, the transport delays between Broome and Kununurra meant the fish were fast maxing out at the size they could be viably kept at the hatchery.

“It costs $1,500 a week in oxygen alone to support that many fish at the centre,” said Milton, “it was nearing the point where we just couldn’t afford to keep them anymore – it was not looking good.”

All kinds of options were considered, including chartering a plane and airlifting the fish to Kununurra, but were ruled out for costs and logistical reasons – it was beginning to look a bit like a fish stocking mission impossible.

Happily, a commercial aquaculture venture took 58,000 of the fish off their hands and then the low-level crossing finally opened across the Fitzroy, courtesy of 10,000 tonnes of rock and steel donated by BHP to allow the team to transport the fish up to Kununurra.

Milton and hatchery technician Darcy Dunstan finally set out from the hatchery with the fish in tow in oxygen-fed tanks on the back of their specially adapted trailer and all was going well until the wheels came off…literally.

A spring gave out at the back of the trailer resulting in the rear wheel axle falling off 30km outside of Fitzroy Crossing.

“There’s never a dull moment working in aquaculture. It’s not a career – it’s an adventure!” said Milton.

LISTEN TO MILTON’S ABC KIMBERLEY INTERVIEW HERE DISCUSSING HIS EPIC BARRA STOCKING MISSION!

North Regional TAFE Acting Hatchery Manager Milton Williams (pictured centre) and his team getting ready to release 42,000 barramundi into Lake Kununurra after their wild ride.

The wheels come off!

With just one bar’s coverage on his mobile phone, Milton was able to get hold of Brian from Fitzroy Crossing Automotive Salvage and Towing who came to the stricken trailer’s aid with his tilt truck.

Brian then really, really went the extra distance to drive the tanks of fish the remaining 700km up to Kununurra on his tilt truck tray with Milton and Darcy following in their 4WD behind.

Forced to drive at only 90kmh meant the crew finally landed at Falls Crossing in Kununurra at 9pm, some 19 hours after having set out from Broome. The boat DBCA usually provide to help stock some of the fish in the lake was stood down due to the late hour, leaving all the fish to be released at Falls Crossing.

There was then an anxious two-hour wait as the fish acclimatised before being finally released into their new home.

“There was a mixture of relief, excitement and exhaustion seeing them go in after all the challenges. Being that much older and bigger than usual has actually worked in their favour, making them that bit more robust and less susceptible to predators,” said Milton.

Read more about the stocking program and fantastic fishing in Lake Kununurra here 

With the fish successfully delivered, Milton and Darcy could finally sit back and enjoy a very well-earned beer.

“It was the best tasting beer I’ve ever had!” laughed Milton, “We were pretty exhausted with the whole experience being a bit of a rollercoaster. But we got there in the end, and it feels great to have delivered another 42,000 barra to the Lake, many of which will grow into metre-plus fish enjoyed by local fishers and visitors the lake alike.”

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Huge credit to Milton, Darcy and the North Regional TAFE aquaculture centre crew. They’ve gone above and beyond to make sure these valuable fish got delivered to the lake.

“Well-managed fishing stocking programs like this create fantastic fishing opportunities for regional communities and all the social, economic and tourism benefits that go with it.

“The fishing is always better when the fish are biting – and having the chance to fish for the iconic barramundi in a safe, accessible setting that Lake Kununurra provides – is of huge value to the local community and visitors to the Kimberley.”

Flashback: Fishing in Barradise – The 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash

With another 42,000 barramundi stocked into the picturesque Lake Kununurra, a large majority of them will make it to this kind of size landed by Luke Koyts!

Fishing in ‘barradise’ – the 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash

East Kimberley fishing gems shone bright silver recently, with a record-breaking number of Apex Kununurra Barra Bash competitors experiencing ‘barradise’ first-hand.

Now in its 24th year, the 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash, running from September 23-25, is the ultimate celebration of barra fishing in the Kimberley, all within the backdrop of postcard-esque scenery and safe, accessible fantastic fishing spots.

With just $50 entries for adults and juniors fishing for free, the potential returns of catching monster barra and taking home sensational prizes across the three-day competition saw more than 720 anglers across all ages try their luck in beautiful East Kimberley waterways, with 168 barra, 181 catfish and 70 sooty grunter landed in total.

“Seeing the attendance record get smashed clearly highlights that family-friendly fishing events such as the Apex Kununurra Barra Bash are part of the social fabric of regional communities like this,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “Well done to all involved in running the Kimberley’s premier freshwater fishing event once again.”

“Lake Kununurra is an increasingly important part of the competition. There’s a growing number of annual fishers heading to Kununurra to fish the lake without the worry of big tidal movements or saltwater crocodiles hindering their fishing experiences. The stocking program run in partnership with the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group (LKBSG), North Regional TAFE and DPIRD has seen more than 1.3 million barra stocked into the lake since 2013. With metre-plus barra catches now a regular occurrence – Lake Kununurra has established itself as a world-class sport fishery.”

Find out more about the fantastic barra fishing Lake Kununurra has to offer here! 

This stunning image taken by Darren Francis won the best picture competition by showcasing the beauty of fishing on Lake Kununurra.

More than $50,000 worth of cash and prizes was on offer for the Bash, including $3,000 for the biggest barra caught and any competitor who landed a barra over 55cm going into the draw for a $12,000 three-night stay at the Kimberley Coastal Camp!

For all competitors who managed to land the highly respectable ‘metrey’ barra, they went home with a new Shimano Speed Master 12 fishing reel, along with two $500 gift voucher prizes sponsored by Recfishwest for the best snap taken on Lake Kununurra and a random draw prize for any one taking a photo on the lake and posting it on the LKBSG Facebook page.

Tyran Flick is a man holding $3,000 in cash! This 1.07m barra was the biggest caught throughout the entire competition!

Attendees didn’t even have to wet a line to be in the running for the biggest ‘lucky door’ prize, with an $18,000 tinnie up for grabs, made possible by a host of sponsors including Recfishwest.

This great prizing is made possible through our East Kimberley Barra Promotion project, supported by the State Government’s Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF).

Bailey Dawe was the lucky winner of the $18,000 dinghy and decided to give his new boat a test run on Lake Kununurra!

With the huge range of extravagant prizes on offer, fishers eagerly patrolled their favourite barra spots during the competition in search for the revered northern sportfish, which frequently cross the one-metre mark all along the 55km length of Lake Kununurra, located around 40km west of the Western Australian and Northern Territory border.

Lake Kununurra has since become a world-class hotspot for anglers chasing one-metre giants. According to a 2020 report conducted on the restocking program, the economic value of barramundi fishing to the region is already $7.6 million per year, showcasing its importance to the local community.

Next year’s competition will be the 25th edition, which is likely to be celebrated by putting an even bigger boat up for grabs for all attendees. Make sure you pay this beautiful region a visit!

Check out the Apex Kununurra Barra Bash Facebook page to see all images and winners from 2022!

Dozens of amazing prizes were given away this year, all in front of a record-breaking crowd!

Nine years and 2,000km later – 12 breeding barra finally return to Kununurra

It’s a fish journey that gives Finding Nemo a run for its money.

One of the original captors from 2013, Ben Little, who previously worked at the hatchery.

Rewind to 2013 in the East Kimberley Ord River in Kununurra, where 12 barramundi were caught, placed in a specially adapted trailer and transported over 1,000km north-east to North Regional TAFE’s Aquaculture Centre in Broome.

Over the past nine years, they grew from around 50cm in length to about one metre, changed from male to female and spawned almost a quarter of a million baby barra between them.

Last Friday, those original 12 barramundi made the 1,000 km ‘return-journey’ and were released into Lake Kununurra, where they will see out the rest of their years.

“It was so good seeing these animals go full circle and return to where they’re from,” said Milton Williams, North Regional TAFE Senior Aquaculture Technician, who has worked at the centre for the last 15 years and oversaw the release operation of these magical fish.

“Having seen them grow and do their bit spawning, it was so rewarding watching them swim off into their wild habitat.”

It is a testament to the stocking program run by the North Regional TAFE in Broome and the local Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group, which has seen more than one million barramundi released into its waterways since 2013.

Find out more about the stocking program and fishery on Lake Kununurra here.

Breeding barra for a Kimberley “Barradise”

Lake Kununurra has since become a world-class hotspot for anglers chasing one-metre giants in ‘barra-dise’. According to a 2020 report conducted on the restocking program, the economic value of barramundi fishing to the region is already $7.6 million per year.

Milton Williams, Senior Aquaculture Technician at North Regional TAFE preparing a barra for the journey. His daughter, Ella, also helped out in a work experience capacity.

To ensure the fish are healthy in the centre and contribute to the growing species abundance, their diet includes fresh “human-grade” seafood including mullet, whiting, prawns, squid and pilchards.

As barramundi are protandrous hermaphrodites, they also change sex from male to female once reaching five to six-years-of-age at around the 90cm mark.

Milton said the female fish have produced eggs consistently well over the last few years, whereas the males might have been suffering from a little ‘performance anxiety.’

“The females have spawned consistently well, it’s the males we have trouble with,” said Milton. “They don’t always fire and we rarely have them all in spawning condition at once – usually it’s about half of them. Between these fish they have successfully contributed 214,000 barra fingerlings that have been transported and released in the lake.”

For their 12–14-hour journey back to Lake Kununurra, the fish were purged so none of their waste impacted on the pH of the water, which can be lethal to the fish. The ratio of fish to water in the oxygenated transportation tanks was 80kg of fish to 800L of water.

Once at the lakeside, water was slowly pumped through the tank to allow the fish to acclimatise and “osmoregulate” from the saline water in which they were kept in at the hatchery and in the transportation tanks to the freshwater environment of the lake, as well as adapting to temperature changes.

A special fishery being delivered by a strong partnership

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland commented, “It’s great to see these fish being treated with the respect they deserve being released back into their natural habitat after contributing to this great program.

“Thanks to fish like this and the fantastic efforts of North Regional TAFE, the local Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group and the support of the State Government, the lake has flourished into a special fishery in a beautiful part of the world. Where else do you get the chance to catch metre-long barra in such a safe and accessible setting?”

The team from North Regional TAFE and Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group members (left), and Brad Pasfield releasing a fish back into its native habitat.

 

Another 300,000 barra released into Lake Kununurra!

This week another 150,000 barramundi fingerlings – which are about 60 days old – were successfully released into Lake Kununurra, with another 150,000 barra set to be released next week.

These two releases will raise the total number of barramundi released into Lake Kununurra over the past eight years to 1.3 million fish.

Lake Kununurra is an East Kimberley fishing gem and a quality sport fishery, providing fishers the chance to chase big barramundi.

WATCH: See how the experts fish for barra on Lake Kununurra

A safe location free of saltwater crocodiles and big tidal movements typical of Kimberley river systems, Lake Kununurra is home to many 1m-plus barra thanks to an ongoing stocking program.

The Lake Kununurra stocking program was initiated in 2013 using recreational fishing licence fees as part of the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund.

It is overseen by the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group (LKBSG), Recfishwest, North Regional TAFE and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPRID).

“Lake Kununurra’s barramundi stocking program shows how true fish abundance not only promotes great fishing experiences, but also benefits regional WA communities,” Recfishwest CEO Dr  Andrew Rowland said.

“Fish abundance ensures great fishing experiences can be enjoyed and stocking programs like this one can help create world-class fisheries in regional towns, such as Kununurra.

“Lake Kununurra is not only an asset to locals, but also attracts visitors to the East Kimberley who want to try their luck and chase a magic metre barra in a safe and accessible setting.”

How good! More than 1.3 million barra have been released into the lake since 2013.

All of the fish released as part of the program have been bred at North Regional TAFE’s aquaculture facility in Broome.

The TAFE’s aquaculture experts transport the fish across from Broome to Kununurra in special oxygenated transportation tanks.

The State Government has committed to fund the stocking program over the next three years through the COVID-19 recfishing recovery package, announced in 2020.

See how the barra are hatched and reared at North Regional TAFE before being released into this short YouTube video.

Thanks also to Fisheries WA for their support of the program and Daiwa Australia our Statewide stocking partners who make fish release activities like this possible.

It was all hands on deck to help get the latest batch of barra into Lake Kununurra.