Elusive Gold Coast stonefish captured in Evandale Lake

THE elusive stonefish that forced Gold Coast council to drain Evandale lake has finally been captured. And the Mayor has named it ‘Sharon’.

THE elusive stonefish that forced Gold Coast council to drain Evandale lake has finally been captured.

And the Mayor has named it ‘Sharon’.

The council this afternoon sent out a media alert exclaiming ‘we’ve got him: Stonefish captured’.

It comes after council this week began draining Evandale Lake in a last-ditch effort to find the highly venomous stonefish.

Cheers went up around Evandale Lake about 2.30pm yesterday when council workers found they had netted the fish.

The problem is no one is sure the stonefish is the same animal which was spotted in the lake by a member of the public on July 18.

“I am not certain,” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said.

“We caught this one. If there are other ones we are going to catch them.”

Stonefish caught at Evandale Lake. Picture: Mike Batterham

The stonefish was plucked from the lake on the fifth pass of nets which were dragged through the water after three days of lowering its levels.

The find came after Sea World divers and earlier netting failed to find the fish.

Cr Tate said James Cook University in Townsville had contacted the council with a request for the stonefish.

“They want to get the stonefish and milk it so they can look for an antivenene,” he said.

“Looks like he has won a free trip to Townsville.”

Despite experts being unable to sex the fish, Cr Tate christened the it ‘Sharon’ after actor Sharon Stone.

Mayor Tom Tate with the stonefish caught from Evandale Lake. Picture: Mike Batterham

The stonefish was not the only fish which was found while netting the lake.

Cr Tate said a barracuda about one metre long was found as well as a large number of fish such as mangrove jacks and whiting.

Those fish will be released into the Nerang River.

The council will continue to net the lake to ensure they have removed all dangerous fish from the water before repairs begin.

The lake has remained closed for the past five weeks after it was first spotted by a member of the public on July 18.

SeaWorld divers tried — without success — to find it and netting of the lake failed to also find the deadly critter.

The stonefish caught from Evandale Lake. Picture: Mike Batterham

This week, three large pumps were brought in to pump out 14 Olympic sized swimming pools worth of water from the lake.

The water was drained into the Nerang River.

The draining of Evandale lake continues. Photo: Mayor Tom Tate

SeaWorld divers go hunting for the stone fish. Picture: Jerad Williams

The lake was drained to three or four metres deep. It will continue to be emptied so council can undertake repairs

The lake was this week drained into the Nerang River. Photo by Richard Gosling Divers search for stonefish on Gold Coast