Northern Territory fishers have leapt at the chance to land big barramundi at Four Mile Hole Billabong in Kakadu after in reopened yesterday following an extended closure.

The popular fishing spot has been closed for several years due to a build-up of the highly invasive aquatic weed Salvinia molesta.

Kakadu National Park manager Shaun Barclay said it was fantastic to see fishers back out at Four Mile Hole chasing big barramundi.

“A good wet season gave us the chance this year to remove much of the remaining salvinia at Four Mile Hole Billabong and it’s looking great,” Mr Barclay said.

“We opened the gates yesterday and there was a line of fishers waiting to get in. We’re expecting many more people here at Kakadu over the next few weekends.

“We’ve done some work to the boat ramp and the road into Four Mile Hole Billabong to improve access and safety, and we’ve installed a wash down facility for fishers to clean their boats and trailers to prevent the further spread of salvinia.

“Our rangers are urging fishers heading to Four Mile Hole to use the designated boat ramp and to use the new wash down facility to help stop the spread of salvinia to other water ways.

“Salvinia is a serious threat, and we need the help of fishers to stop this invasive weed spreading. We know it can double in size every 48 hours and one leaf can spawn acres of salvinia when introduced to new waterways.

“Kakadu National Park uses a weevil as a biological control and other methods to manage this invasive weed but controlling the spread remains a constant challenge.”

Meanwhile, other fishing spots in Kakadu such as Alligator, Red Lily and Bucket Billabongs are also open, and we have done some additional work at these sites to improve access and safety for fishers.

Remember to be Crocwise when fishing at Kakadu. Crocodiles are known to gather at boat ramps. Take extreme care when launching and retrieving boats and be extra vigilant when fishing.