Fishing license fees and the government’s Recreational Fishing Initiative funds are going back into the fishing community, quite literally as this week approximately eight million fish were re-stocked into Victoria’s lakes and rivers.

According to the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Walsh, 1.2 million Golden Perch have found themselves in a new home. With 107,000 Estuary Perch Fingerlings as neighbors, and also Murray Cod, trout cod, Australian bass, Macquarie perch, silver perch and catfish to complete the community.

Also being installed as we speak, are new facilities for recreational fisherman like fish cleaning tables, artificial reefs and better access for anglers. All paid for by the proceeds from fishing licenses and this Coalition Government ‘Recreational Fishing Initiative’.

But where did they come from? 8 million fish can’t just appear out of fresh water, they had to come from somewhere! In fact they were bred in Fisheries Victoria’s Snobs Creek Hatchery. With many threatened species being reintroduced, the Snobs Creek Hatchery is proud of the amount of Macquarie Perch and Trout Cod being produced by the facility. While Troud Cod remains on the ‘no-catch’ list for anglers, the Macquarie Perch can be taken from Lake Dartmouth, the Yarra River and the Upper Coliban Reservoir as long as they are above the legal size of 35cm, and a maximum of two per angler.

So if you’re around Victoria, get out there and make the most of Victorian fish stocks being as high as they’ll ever be. At least for the next few years at least.

#News #Fishing