l6 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



mention also that it is considered that the Murrumbidgee 

 River will be dammed back for about 40 miles, while the 

 Goodradigbee will be similarly dammed for about 12 miles. 



Now, in European lakes (according to such an authority 

 as Sir F. A. Nicholson), where fishes subsist solely upon the 

 natural food supplied by a lake and its sources, i^ cwt. per 

 acre is considered a medium annual yield. Under the more 

 favorable conditions for the growth of fish food existing in 

 our waters, I think we may safely increase the amount to at 

 least 2 cwt. under ordinary natural conditions; while, with a 

 proper system of cultivation, this amount might be very 

 greatly increased. As I stated before, it is estimated that 

 the total surface area of the Barren Jack Reservoir at normal 

 level will be 12,874 acres, which, at the rate of 224 lb. (2 cwt.) 

 to the acre, would yield 2,863,616 lb. of fresh fish annually. 

 Under present conditions the fishes so captured would consist 

 mainly of Murray Cod and Trout, and this without any 

 special introduction of the species on the part of man, as the 

 Murray Cod already exists in that portion of the Murrum- 

 bidgee above the dam, while the Goodradigbee River, which 

 flows into the MiuTumbidgee about 3 miles above the dam, 

 has long since demonstrated its capabilities as a trout stream 

 of the first order. On the other hand, if a suitable hatchery 

 and nursery ponds were established (and it must be remem- 

 bered that all the conditions combine to render hatchery 

 construction in this locality simple in the extreme, quite 

 without those difficulties which might be encountered else- 

 where) the possibilities of fish production in this great 

 artilicial lake would be immeasurably increased; and under 

 ordinarily favora.ble circumstances the return should reach 

 annually many millions of pounds weight. If — as appears 

 probable— other huge reservoirs of a similar nature are con- 

 structed, there will be presented to us the chance of enormously 

 augmenting our future inland fish supplies.* 



*In Europe a lake is considered to be stocked with fishes vhen it holds them 

 at the rate of about i lb. per 50 cubic yards. At this rate, Barren Jack Reservoir 

 would, when fully stocked, support the enormous quantity of 24,898,275 lb., or 

 II, 1 15 tons. Verily these are huge figures, but investigation will show that they 

 are not exaggerated. 



