The State Government’s record-breaking fish stocking program has again hit a high-water mark with 10 million fish stocked this year, so more recreational fishers can wet a line close to home across the state.
Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos, last week stocked more brown trout at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat and announced the major milestone for Victorians.
More fish are stocked in Victoria than every other state and territory in Australia combined – with Murray cod, golden perch, brown and rainbow trout, threatened Macquarie perch, dusky flathead, Australian bass and more bolstering world-class fishing experiences that are easy and accessible for every Victorian to enjoy.
The Government’s $96 million Go Fishing and Boating Plan has backed the Victorian Fisheries Authority to stock more than 26 million fish since 2021.
This year, more than 1.4 million brown and rainbow trout have been stocked in waterways across the state while 7.4 million native Murray cod and golden perch fingerlings are also now in waters for recreational fishers to enjoy. Also stocked have been 460,000 Australian bass and 300,000 silver perch in every corner of Victoria.
Future
The Government is making sure the future of the endangered Macquarie perch continues to shine brighter with nearly 80,000 fingerlings stocked into Victorian waters to re-establish wild populations across the state, fast-tracking the recovery of the once-prominent native fish.
The recovery of Macquarie perch is also supported by significant upgrades at the VFA’s Snobs Creek and Arcadia fish hatcheries, with $15 million invested in world-class infrastructure. Snobs Creek now features a new captive breeding centre with leading aquaculture technology.
More Victorians can now also play a part in boosting fish populations across Victoria, with the Labor Government’s Fish Habitat Improvement Fund program helping recreational fishing groups and larger organisations create better fish habitats in freshwater, marine and estuarine fisheries.
For more information, visit vfa.vic.gov.au/10millionfish.
