FISHING: If the fish are biting in the next couple of years, the odds are it will be because of the work of the Warwick Fish Stocking Association which has released 4.5 million fingerlings into rivers and streams in the past 30 years.

The association was formed in 1986 and this year 200,000 fingerlings will be released.

Yesterday, 60,000 yellowbelly fingerlings were released, 20,000 into the Condamine River at Scots Weir, 10,000 into Connolly Dam and 30,000 into Leslie Dam.

Southern Downs councillor Yve Stocks said fish were very important to the health of the river and environment.

"It helps provide some recreation for the anglers in the district,” he said.

The fingerlings yesterday came from David Rose at Redgate Fish Farm at Murgon who was supported on the day by Andrew Shaw of Australian Native Fish Enterprises from Kallangur.

There will be more fish to come from Redgate and Nick Donges from Granite Belt Fish Hatchery will provide some Murray cod fingerlings next month.

Association secretary/treasurer Eddie Kemp said to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the association, Paul Stumkat had been commissioned to sculpt a large Murray cod into a solid black granite boulder from Cherrabah.

"The sculpture will be positioned on the banks of the Condamine River near Tiddalik upstream from the Madsen Bridge,” Kemp said.

"The construction of the sculpture will coincide with the release of the whole of life plan for the Condamine River which is going to be registered with the Murray Darling Basin Authority in Canberra and be available on the internet and hopefully encourage anglers from around the world to visit our area.”

The fingerlings released yesterday were two-and-a-half to three-months-old and 60mm in length.

Queensland Fisheries provides the ratio of the percentages of each variety of fish allowed to be released into streams and dams throughout Queensland.