Record trout stocking to boost angling numbers
Almost 850,000 trout have been stocked in the Victorian waterways in a bumper year for anglersA record of more than 844,000 trout and salmon were stocked into Victorian waterways during 2016 to improve recreational fishing opportunities for freshwater anglers and to boost participation as part of the Target One Million initiative.
A wetter-than-average spring helped beat the previous record of 706,000 set in 2010 — also a year that saw drought-breaking rain fill many Victorian lakes and inland catchments.
Increasing fish stocking is a key goal of the Andrews Labor Government’s $46 million Target One Million plan for recreational fishing, which aims to get more people fishing more often and boost participation to one million anglers by 2020.
Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford said the Target One Million plan for recreational fishing has saved Lake Toolondo, created a barra fishery at Hazelwood Pondage, improved access and facilities, and is ending commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay.
"Record trout stocking following drought-breaking rain will see fantastic inland fishing this winter and beyond," Minster Pulford.
TROUT AND SALMON FINGERLINGS
Most of last year’s trout and salmon were one-year-old rainbow trout and brown trout bred at Fisheries Victoria’s Snobs Creek hatchery, which is funded by fishing licence fees and Target One Million.
Around 130,000 were younger and smaller trout stocked into waters that had quickly filled in spring such as Moorabool Reservoir near Ballan and Lake Eppalock near Bendigo.
DROUGHT RECOVERY
Drought recovery stocking opportunities have played a key part in boosting numbers, particularly in western Victoria at lakes Bolac, Greenhill, Deep, Elingamite, Burrumbeet and Tooliorook.
Flooded lake margins kick-start productive aquatic systems and provide ideal conditions for fast-growing rainbow trout with world-class growth rates anticipated in several waters over the next 12 to 18 months.
TOOLONDO IS BACK
Toolondo also remains high on the list of trout lakes to watch thanks to a water transfer in October 2016 that significantly raised its level and provided security through summer for trout, which have limited tolerance to warm water temperatures.
Saving Lake Toolondo as a trophy trout fishery delivered on another initiative of the Labor Government’s Target One Million plan and helps keep valuable fishing tourism in regional Victoria where it continues to boost small businesses across our regions.
"The Andrews Labor Government is working to stock five million fish by 2018, and this trout stocking record demonstrates we’re gearing up towards that ambitious goal," Minister Pulford said.
For a full list of Victorian waters stocked with trout and salmon in 2016, and to plan your 2017 trout trip, see www.vic.gov.au/troutstocking2016.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
