A record 10 million fish have been released into Victorian waterways in the past year, setting a new nationwide record.
The initiative is part of the state government’s $35 million Go Fishing Victoria plan, funded by recreational fishing licence fees, and includes one million Murray cod and golden perch stocked in Lake Eildon, Lake Eppalock and Rocklands Reservoir.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority grew a majority of the fish at the Snobs Creek hatchery near Eildon and the recently completed Arcadia hatchery on the banks of the Goulburn River near Shepparton.
Of the fish stocked in the past year, 8.1 million were native species such as Murray cod, golden perch, Australian bass, estuary perch and the endangered Macquarie perch.
The remaining 1.9 million were trout and salmon including rainbow, brown, cheetah and tiger, along with Chinook.
Significant stockings across the north-east include 100,000 golden perch released into Lake Nillahcootie and Waranga Basin and 124,000 Murray cod into the Goulburn River, downstream of Shepparton.
Alongside the big numbers was also an inaugural stocking of Macquarie perch into Cudgewa Creek and the King River and silver perch into Buffalo Lake.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said fishing was a popular past time for many locals as well as tourists across the north east.
“Which is why fish stocking is vital to keep our waterways healthy and abundant with fish for years to come,” Ms Symes said.
Since 2014, the state government has invested $71 million into the recreational fishing sector, which is worth more than $3.9 billion to the Victorian economy and supports 33,000 jobs.
For a full breakdown of fish stocking locations, visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/10millionfish
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