AUSTRALIAN bass are making a comeback in Gippsland, with 50,000 of the species being released into Blue Rock Dam and Lake Glenmaggie.

The release of bass into the two waters has signalled the return of the stocking program to Gippsland.

Fisheries Minister Joe Helper said a return to full-scale stocking would take place soon.

Bass stocking began in Gippsland in the summer of 2002-03 but was stopped due to lack of fingerlings.

These are open waters, with inflow and outflow, and Fisheries had to ensure bass stocking was limited to the indigenous, pure-Gippsland strain.

Last year, staff from Fisheries Victoria worked with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and anglers to capture mature Australian bass to restart the breeding program.

The success of that joint venture is marked by the release of the 50,000 bass.

"The bass stocking is expected to improve local recreational fishing opportunities and provide an economic and tourism boost to local economies and the surrounding communities," Mr Helper said.

Blue Rock and Glenmaggie received small numbers of bass in previous stockings.

However, being shallower (and warmer) and using native Gippsland blood strains, the results were much better than those achieved in another Victorian water, Lake Bullen Merri, in the Western District.

Lake Bullen Merri is deep and cold.

Over a decade, more than 200,000 bass fingerlings from Queensland were released into the lake.

The fish thrived to the point where schools of them can be seen on sounders. Problem was, and remains, these bass didn't want to be caught.

They seem active during spells of hot weather, but in any year you can count on your fingers the number of days when the bass turn it on for anglers.

If the Gippsland stocking proves successful, Victorians may have easy access to a bass fishery, like those of southern Queensland and northern NSW.

I've fished bass in both states, both in the wild and in impoundments, and appreciate how good bass fishing can be when the fish co-operate.

Mako change

THE good news for shark fishers is that the Federal Government will ensure shortfin mako sharks are not protected species, as many anglers had feared.

And anglers can continue to catch and release mako sharks without fear of enforcement action even though they were listed for protection on January 29.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett said it was a requirement of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act that species listed under the International Convention on Migratory Species were an automatic inclusion on Australia's national list of migratory species.

Three sharks, the porbeagle, shortfin mako and longfin mako, are scheduled for listing.

Only the shortfin mako is of concern to Australian anglers and Mr Garrett said the Government would introduce legislative amendments to ensure that international changes to the status of mako sharks would not affect recreational fishing activities in Australia.

The mako shark is highly regarded as a game fish; super fast with a reputation for explosive acrobatic displays.

Makos are also known by the vernacular "blue dynamite".

In Victorian waters, the mako is one of a small number of game fish species available to anglers.

Mr Garrett said the Government had decided to act because there was a lack of evidence suggesting Australian populations of these shark species faced the same threats as other parts of the world, or a demonstrable conservation benefit.

He said the Government would ensure anglers and charter boat operators were not treated unfairly by the international decision, which had been driven by concern about northern hemisphere shark populations.

"The inflexibility of the EPBC Act when it comes to the listing of species under the international convention was identified as an issue needing correction by the Government's recent independent review of the legislation," he said.

Mr Garrett said that while the listing of the three shark species would have to take effect, the Government would treat the issue as a priority on the resumption of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, catch and release fishing of these species is not expected to have a significant impact on populations.

Therefore, it is unlikely to be subject to enforcement action.