The NSW Government has announced a $10 million initiative to combat what the Agriculture Minister has described as a looming "Fish Armageddon".

Key points: More fish kill events are expected this summer due to prospect of little rain, high temperatures and record low river inflows

More fish kill events are expected this summer due to prospect of little rain, high temperatures and record low river inflows The NSW Government plan is claimed to be the largest-ever fish rescue and restocking program to protect native fish species

The NSW Government plan is claimed to be the largest-ever fish rescue and restocking program to protect native fish species Conservaton groups says changes are needed to water policy and water management

With little prospect of rain, high temperatures and record low river inflows, there are fears more fish kill events could be on the cards this summer.

NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the initiative was the largest-ever fish rescue and restocking program to protect native fish species.

It will involve a breeding program, using government and private hatcheries, to ensure long-term sustainability of native fish species such as the Murray cod and will include a $5 million expansion of the Fisheries Hatchery and Research Centre in Narrandera.

Mr Marshall said the expansion would help prevent the state's native fish species from ecological disaster.



"I can't sugar-coat it, it will be the equivalent of a fish Armageddon in New South Wales this summer," Mr Marshall said.

"And I say that, based on all the evidence — record-low water levels in most river systems right across the state, virtually no rain or no inflows into those river systems, and the Bureau of Meteorology predicting above average temperatures this summer.

"That's the perfect recipe for mass fish kills, that will literally dwarf the fish kill events that we saw last summer, particularly in the Menindee lakes and in western NSW," he said.

A young Murray cod at the Naranderra Fisheries Centre. ( ABC News: Lauren Pezet )

The new plan will include additional dedicated fish teams to conduct rescue operations and investment in public and private hatcheries.

"This will involve the State Government embarking on the largest-ever fish rescue and recovery operations as well as a stocking program for native fish species in river systems right up and down New South Wales," Mr Marshall said

Tough road ahead

Scientists say the logistics of fish rescues are often incredibly challenging and require significant planning and resources.

Martin Asmus, Manager, Narrandera Fisheries Centre said the $5 million expansion would help it to double production — producing up to 2 million fish each year.

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"It's not just the recreational species like Murray cod and golden perch," he said.

"The smaller wetland species likes southern pygmy perch and purple-spotted gudgeon — it's not just the big fish, it's a little fish as well, that will that will make a difference."

Rescuing fish under stress requires a lot of logistics and planning.

"Relocating fish and doing fish rescues is really difficult, no two rescues are the same," Mr Asmus said

"Once fish start dying, unfortunately, it's really hard to rescue them."

Thousands of dead fish were seen in the Darling River at Menindee in early January. ( Facebook: Debbie Newitt )

'More fish does not address underlying problem'

Conservation groups have hit back at the Government and want to see changes to water policy and river management.

Nature Conservation Council Policy and Research Coordinator, Jack Gough said the policy was a 'bandaid' solution.

"This announcement is the National Party trying to stick a bandaid on a gaping, self-inflicted wound.

"Successive National Party water ministers have overseen a regime of over-extraction by large irrigation corporations which has undermined the resilience and health of our mighty inland rivers.

"Now they want credit for creating a fish zoo, rather than taking the necessary steps to ensure we have living, functioning river systems," Mr Gough said.

Fran Sheldon from Griffith University Australian Rivers Institute, who contributed to the NSW Natural Resources Review, said restocking fish did not address the underlying problem.

"It's not a simple solution, to just be just putting a whole heap of fish into the system, they still need to eat something," Ms Sheldon said.

"We need to make sure the decisions that are made, support the whole ecosystem not just one component."

Water fight escalates between Pavey and NRC

The Menindee Lake fish kills initially provoked anger amongst graziers who blamed irrigators upstream.

Since then a scathing independent review said over extraction was a contibuting factor in the fish kills and placed the blame squarely at the feet of consecutive NSW water ministers.

The draft review by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) of the 2012 Barwon Darling Water Sharing Plan found consecutive Nationals' ministers, Katrina Hodgkinson, Kevin Humphries and Niall Blair prioritised the needs of up stream irrigators at the expense of communities and ecosystems.

The report also found the over-allocation of water pushed the river system into severe drought three years earlier than it otherwise would have.

NSW Water Minister, Melinda Pavey, has this week, attacked the modelling and conclusions of the NRC report.

In a leaked letter to the Water Minister, Natural Resources Commissioner John Keniry said he stood by the modelling which he said had been peer-reviewed by two authorities in the hydrological field and neither had a conflict of interest.

"Never in my time as commissioner have I been publicly criticised by a Minister for the quality or process of our work," Mr Keniry said

The NRC is yet to release its final report.