In early November 2025 around 7,000 wild rainbow trout fry were released into a number of sites around the Inglis River in Northwest Tasmania.

The fry were successfully hatched out in 4 floating egg boxes which were built and maintained by local volunteers.

The boxes were designed to keep the eggs in a safe and secure environment allowing sufficient water flow to keep the eggs well aerated until hatching. Once hatched, the fry developed through to a ‘first feeding’ stage prior to their release.

Fertilised wild rainbow trout eggs, collected from fish in the Liawenee canal were incubated at the Salmon Ponds until they reached an ‘eyed’ stage.  In mid-October the eggs were transferred to the Northwest and transferred into the floating egg boxes.  The resultant fry were released in small batches across several sites (with suitable habitat) in early November.

The IFS would like to thank local volunteers Martin Droz and Adrian Hope who made this trial possible.  Their commitment to the trial, which included regular checking of the eggs, cleaning of the egg boxes and relocation of the boxes during minor flood conditions was fantastic!

Egg boxes are widely used in Europe to supplement natural populations of trout in rivers, and this trial was established to explore whether this methodology would work in Tasmania.

The IFS will re-visit the sites in the future and undertake back-pack electrofishing surveys to help confirm survival of the released fry.  Further use of floating egg boxes is being planned for 2026.

This trial was facilitated by an Exemption Permit issued by the Director of Inland Fisheries.