Two new waters join estuary perch stocking list
19 December 2016
Two new waterways were amongst nine lakes and rivers to share in 103,000 estuary perch fingerlings last week that will improve recreational fishing opportunities for anglers.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said Mordialloc Creek and the National Watersports Centre near Carrum received 10,000 and 20,000 estuary perch fingerlings respectively for the first time.
"Creating new fisheries and increasing fish stocking to five million are key commitments in the State Government's Target One Million plan, which aims to get more people fishing, more often and increase participation to one million anglers by 2020," Mr Dowling said.
Other waters stocked with estuary perch last week included:
- Melton Reservoir 15,000
- Werribee River 15,000
- Lake Struan 5,000
- Lake Hamilton 5,000
- Devilbend Reservoir 15,000
- Karkarook Lake 8,000
- Albert Park Lake 10,000
Mr Dowling said several of these waterways had been stocked with estuary perch in previous years and encouraging feedback from anglers suggested the fish were growing well and getting caught by anglers.
"Devilbend Reservoir on the Mornington Peninsula has a growing reputation for estuary perch catches, including on fly, which nicely complements the stocked brown trout and rainbow trout population.
"We have also had reports of small estuary perch caught in the Werribee River and Melton Reservoir, both of which are close to Melbourne's expanding western suburbs and will provide extra fishing opportunities for a new species.
"Fisheries managers hope to hear similar good news this summer and next from lakes Karkarook, Struan, Hamilton and Albert Park in the heart of Melbourne."
"Since 2012, more than 500,000 estuary perch fingerlings have been stocked into 14 waters."
Estuary perch stocking and the state-wide fish stocking program for trout and native fish is funded by recreational fishing licence fees and Target One Million.
Learn more at www.vic.gov.au/estuaryperch