Off you go: Fishing Minister Melissa Horne releases golden perch fingerlings into the Goulburn River, or Kaiela, with Victorian Fisheries Authority worker Jarryd McGowan.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Fittingly, the first native fish produced at the new Arcadia hatchery south of Shepparton have been released into the nearby Goulburn River.
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Victorian Fishing Minister Melissa Horne did the honours on Wednesday, February 16, delivering the first of more than 10,000 golden perch fingerlings into the waterway.
“Seeing the first fish stocked locally into the Goulburn River less than 12 months after the first sod was turned at Arcadia signals a strong future for fishing in Victoria," she said.
"The Arcadia hatchery will give the Victorian Fisheries Authority greater capacity to produce more native fish and continue our record-breaking stocking program that is improving recreational fishing right across the state."
The lower Goulburn River is known as Kaiela in Yorta Yorta language and is regularly nominated by fishers as Victoria’s most popular inland fishing destination.
Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club president Corey Walker also attended the release and said the hatchery would provide a welcome boost to native fish populations as well as job prospects for locals.
“It’s always good to restock our waterways,” he said.
“Obviously they are impacted by blackwater events and pollution issues that have really impacted our native species. This is a real need for our communities and the state of Victoria to restock our rivers for future generations.
“My daughter is doing the fisheries course in collaboration with GOTAFE. That finishes up mid-year and she’s pretty proud of that achievement and I think they are going to offer her some work here at the hatchery.”
The $7 million hatchery is set on 170 hectares on the banks of the river and includes 32 ponds, 20 of which are plankton ponds growing newly hatched larvae into fingerlings for release.
The remaining 12 ponds will hold parent Murray cod and golden perch, called broodfish, from which the eggs are sourced each breeding season.
The release of the fingerlings marks the start of a new era of native fish production and will complement VFA's other fish hatchery at Snobs Creek, near Eildon.
When the hatchery is operating at full capacity, it will produce up to 1.6 million native fish annually — mostly Murray cod and golden perch.
The stocking program is supported by recreational fishing licence fees and will see an Australian-record 10 million fish stocked across the state by April 2022.
The next major milestone for the Arcadia site will be constructing a $3 million visitor centre, complete with a fish-themed playground, fish outpond, and interactive displays.
The visitor centre is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
Good news: Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club president Corey Walker, Fishing Minister Melissa Horne and Rumbalara cultural officer Lance James check out the hatchery.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
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