April 28, 2022
It’s a great time to be a recfisher in Victoria with ample opportunities to wet a line across the state. In fact, there are now 10 million more fish in Victorian waterways for recfishers to reel in following a record-breaking stocking season.
An unbelievable 10 million fish were stocked over the past 12 months which is not only a fish stocking record for Victoria, it also sets a new national record. To celebrate the achievement, the Victorian Fisheries Authority held a fish stocking event at the Ballarat Fly Fishers’ Club Rooms on Lake Wendouree. Attendees were given a chance to stock rainbow trout into the lake.
Over the past year, there were 8.1 million native fish stocked across Victoria. This included an incredible 3,170,800 Murray cod, 3,546,570 golden perch, 145,600 Macquarie perch, 6,100 trout cod, and other native species. There were one million Murray cod and golden perch stocked in Lake Eildon, Lake Eppalock and Rocklands Reservoir.
VRFish’s strong advocacy saw the Victorian Fisheries Authority begin stocking native fish into Rocklands in 2017. Since then, we’ve seen the excitement grow from fishers in the region as the reservoir continues to become a cracking mixed fishery for fishers in Victoria’s west.
The remaining fish stocked across the state included 1.9 million trout and salmonids. This included brown, rainbow, cheetah and tiger trouts and chinook salmon.
There were also maiden stockings at the following waters including Macquarie perch in the King River, tiger trout in Lake Bullen Merri, estuary perch in Aura Vale Lake and silver perch in Lake Buffalo.
The Andrews Labor Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan set the task as a key commitment to increase fish stocking to 10 million fish annually by 2022. To achieve the commitment, the Victorian Fisheries Authority have taken a staged approach by growing their stocking program from 6 million fish stocked per annum in 2019 and 2020, 8 million fish stocked in 2021 and now 10 million fish stocked in 2022. The fish stocking year runs from 1st April to 31st March the following year.
Majority of the fish were grown at Snobs Creek Hatchery and at the new fish hatchery at Arcadia which recently commenced operations. The new hatchery is anticipated to produce around 1.6 million native fish per year and increases the capacity for Victoria to grow more of our own fish to meet stocking demands. It also allows Snobs Creek to focus on salmonids, trout and cold-water native fish such as Macquarie perch and trout cod.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority have a breakdown of where the 10-million fish have been stocked on their website which is linked in the button below.
HOW IS THE FISH STOCKING PROGRAM PLANNED?
To inform the stocking program, which is arguably the best in the country, the Victorian Fisheries Authority annually hold Vic Fish Stock meetings with relevant stakeholders. The invited stakeholders include representatives from VRFish, the Australian Trout Foundation, Native Fish Australia, angling clubs and associations, recreational fishers, Water Management Corporations, Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and other department staff.
To determine where and how many fish will be stocked, the Vic Fish Stock meetings provide an opportunity for the Victorian Fisheries Authority to discuss fish stocking regimes, fish population surveys and other recreational fisheries management issues with stakeholders.
WHAT’S BEEN STOCKED IN YOUR LOCAL WATERWAY?
Following the record-breaking stocking season, there are now more opportunities than ever before to reel in a fish at more than 250 Victorian waterways.
The best way to keep track of where the fish are being stocked is by checking out the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Fish Stocking Database. You can search by waterway, by species, by date, and much more to know exactly how your fishing licence fees have been utilised in the fish stocking program.
Over the summer, the Victorian Fisheries Authority are generally stocking native fish. During the cooler months, and particularly around the school holidays, they are generally stocking all types of trout and salmonids.
LET’S MAKE FISHING BETTER!
We value your local knowledge as to how our stocked fisheries are performing and how best to improve our fishing experience through fishing stocking.
If you have any comments or suggestions to make fishing better at your local waterway, please let us know via [email protected].
