Prawn stocking trial

Fisheries Victoria recently stocked approximately 300,000 prawns into Lake Tyers in East Gippsland -- the first time the stocking of prawns has ever been undertaken in the state.

The Eastern King Prawns were stocked into Lake Tyers with the help of funds from the sale of Recreational Fishing Licences.

Lake Tyers was identified as an ideal candidate for prawn stocking based on its environmental and physical attributes through consultation with researchers, anglers and other government agencies.

A further one million prawns will be stocked later this year. This trial will be used as a stepping stone to help inform future projects of this kind, including fish species.

The release of the prawns is accompanied by a monitoring program to determine how the prawn larvae survive and contribute to the fishery.

The monitoring program will help Fisheries understand the environmental conditions favourable for stocking and clarify the contribution that the released prawns make to the overall population in Lake Tyers.

Researchers, with the help of recreational anglers, will differentiate the stocked prawns from wild ones that naturally occur in the lake through genetic profiling.

Fisheries Victoria recognises the risk factors of stocking prawns into a waterway like Lake Tyers. For example, the prawns might run to sea when they are bigger if the entrance opens due to a flood.

The stocking of prawns in Lake Tyers is designed to improve recreational fishing opportunities in the lake and is the first time that prawns have ever been stocked into a Victorian water body.

Prawn stocking in estuaries elsewhere along the south-eastern Australian coast has been successful in improving recreational fishing opportunities in the past and Fisheries believe similar results can be achieved at Lake Tyers.

The stocking is being undertaken by the University of New South Wales and overseen by Fisheries Victoria. Scientists from the University of New South Wales have proven experience in stocking prawns into estuaries near Merimbula.

Lake Tyers will be temporarily closed to commercial bait fishing until 31 January 2014 to allow the stocked prawns to grow and be available to recreational fishers.

Recreational fishing makes a significant contribution to the East Gippsland economy, supporting businesses ranging from hotels, petrol stations and supermarkets, to bait and tackle stores.

The Government says it is committed to improving recreational fishing opportunities across the state and the Lake Tyers prawn stocking is just one of numerous initiatives we are implementing to achieve this goal.