Native Fish Releases 2003-04
1. Departmental Stocking Program
The department's native fish stocking program is designed to enhance recreational fishing opportunities for anglers. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) stocks trout cod, a fully protected species that anglers are not permitted to take, to ensure the survival of the species in accordance with the National Trout Cod Recovery Plan.
Stocking Plans are developed annually as part of the man-agement consultation process between Fisheries Victoria, VRFish the Recreational Fisheries Peak Body and other natural resource management agencies. The meetings consider in detail the performance of existing stocking programs, the results of stock assessments, creel surveys, angler diaries and anything else that has or might impact on the fishery e.g. environmental conditions, water levels. Requests by client groups for changes to current stocking programs and the implementation of new stocking pro-grams are considered.
Stocking Plans are subject to 'last minute' variations due to natural factors e.g. flood, drought, or man-made im-pacts such as excessive algal blooms, major works on storages, etc. Explanatory notes are provided where a planned release has been amended.
| Water Stocked | Month/Year | Fish Size (z) | Aust. Bass | Golden Perch | Murray cod | Silver Perch | Trout cod |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Lake | 2/04 | 1 | - | 1,000 | 500 | - | - |
| Avoca River | 3/04 | 1 | - | 17,000 | - | - | - |
| Batyo Catyo Lake | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Blue Rock Dam | - | - | ♣ | - | - | - | - |
| Boga Lake | 4/04 | 372 | - | - | 317⊕† | - | - |
| 4/04 | 1 | - | 5,535#† | - | - | - | |
| Broken Creek | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 15,000 | - | - | - |
| Broken River | 1/04 | 1.4 | - | 20,000 | - | - | - |
| Buffalo Lake | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 10,000 | - | - | - |
| Bullen Merri Lake | 11/03 | 0.9 | 10,000 | - | - | - | - |
| Cairn Curran Res. | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Campaspe River | |||||||
| Rochester dwnst. of Elmore | 2/04 | 0.7 | - | - | 10,000 | - | - |
| L. Eppalock to Elmore | 2/04 | 0.7 | - | - | 10,000 | - | - |
| Axedale to Elmore | 3-4/04 | 0.5 | - | 40,000 | - | - | - |
| Charm Lake | 1/04 | 172 | - | - | 500⊕† | - | - |
| 4/04 | 1 | - | 5,535#† | - | - | - | |
| Crusoe Reservoir | 4/04 | 0.9 | - | 3,000 | - | - | - |
| Cullulleraine Lake | 4/04 | 0.4 | - | - | - | 10,000 | - |
| 2/04 | 0.9 | - | - | 10,000 | - | - | |
| 4/04 | 1.2 | - | 10,000 | - | - | - | |
| Eildon Lake | 2-3/04 | 0.5 | - | - | 42,500 | - | - |
| 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 155,000♥ | - | - | - | |
| Eppalock Lake | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Expedition Pass Res. | 2/04 | 1.6 | - | - | 250 | - | - |
| 4/04 | 0.9 | - | 1,00 | - | - | - | |
| Glenmaggie Lake | - | - | # | - | - | - | - |
| Goldsfields Reservoir | 4/04 | 0.9 | - | 1,000 | - | - | - |
| Goulburn River | |||||||
| Shepparton | 2/04 | 0.5 | - | - | 25,000# | - | - |
| 2/04 | 102 | - | - | 2,500⊕ | - | - | |
| Gunbower Creek | 2/04 | 1.6 | - | - | 20,000 | - | - |
| Hanging Rock Lake | 4/04 | 0.4 | - | 500† | - | - | - |
| Hume Lake | 3-4/04 | 0.4 | - | 149,700♥ | - | - | - |
| 2/04 | 0.5 | - | - | 50,000 | - | - | |
| Kangaroo Lake | 1/04 | 172 | - | - | 1,000⊕† | - | - |
| 4/04 | 1 | - | 9,280#† | - | - | - | |
| Kerford Lake | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 5,000 | - | - | - |
| Kiewa River (Kergunyah) | 1/04 | 0.8 | - | - | 20,000 | - | - |
| King Lake | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 1,000 | - | - | - |
| Kow Swamp | 4/04 | 1 | - | 9,140#† | - | - | - |
| Laanecoorie Reservoir | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Landsborough Reservoir | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Little Bort Lake | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Little Murray River | 2/04 | 1.5 | - | - | 10,000 | - | - |
| Loch Garry | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Loddon River | |||||||
| Bridgewater | 2/04 | 0.8 | - | - | 10,000# | - | - |
| Bridgewater to Kerang | 2/04 | 1.5 | - | - | 10,000 | - | - |
| Above Fernihurst | 2/04 | 1.4 | - | 7,500 | - | - | - |
| Bridgewater to Newbridge | 2-3/04 | 1.3 | - | 20,000 | 1,000⊕ | - | - |
| Newbridge | 3/04 | 1.4 | - | 7,500 | - | - | - |
| Kerang | 3/04 | 1.4 | - | 5,000 | - | - | - |
| Serpentine | 3/04 | 1.3 | - | 10,000 | - | - | - |
| Macalister River | |||||||
| below Lake Glenmaggie | - | - | ♣ | - | - | - | - |
| Meran Lake | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mokoan Lake | 4/04 | 1.2 | - | 20,000# | - | - | - |
| Nillahcootie Lake | 1/04 | 1.4 | - | 20,000 | - | - | - |
| Ovens River | 1/04 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 30,000#* |
| Redbank Reservoir | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Reedy Lake (first) | 3/04 | 248 | - | - | 412⊕† | - | - |
| 4/04 | 1.1 | - | 5,535#† | - | - | - | |
| Richardson River | 3/04 | 1 | - | 10,000 | - | - | - |
| Sambell Lake | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 5,000 | - | - | - |
| Serpentine Creek | 3/04 | 1 | - | 5,000 | - | - | - |
| Seven Creeks | - | - | - | ♠ | - | - | - |
| Sumption Gardens Creek | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 2,000 | - | - | - |
| Taylors Lake | 2/04 | 0.9 | - | - | 15,000 | - | - |
| 3-4/04 | 0.7 | - | 20,000 | - | - | - | |
| Tullaroop Ck (Deep Ck) | - | - | - | ♠ | - | - | - |
| Victoria Lake (Shepparton) | 3/04 | 0.6 | - | 2,500 | - | - | - |
| Wooroonook Lake | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Wimmera River | |||||||
| Horsham | 4/04 | 0.4 - 1.7 | - | 4,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | - |
| Jeparit | 4/04 | 1.7 | - | 4,000 | - | - | - |
| Dimboola | 4/04 | 1.7 | - | 6,000 | - | - | - |
| Glenorchy | 4/04 | 1.7 | - | 4,000 | - | - | - |
| Elmhurst/Green Creek | 4/04 | 1.7 | - | 4,000 | - | - | - |
| Yarriambiack Creek | U/S | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Species Total | 10,000 | 620,725 | 243,979 | 15,000 | 30,000 |
2. Authorised Client Group Fish Releases
The Department authorises fish releases by client groups. The stockings may complement the Department's program, or may be waters for which the Department is unable to provide fish. Requests by client groups are considered in the consultation process described in Part 1. above. Approved proposals must
conform to the requirements of the Department's Policy Statement on Stocking Native Fish. Releases authorised by the Department for which fish stocking details have been confirmed are listed below.
NOTE: Under Section 530 of the Fisheries Regulations 1998, it is an offence to stock fish into any Victorian water, both public and private, without the written permission of the Director, Fisheries Victoria. Penalty: up to $2,000.
| Water Stocked | Client Group | Date | Fish Size (z) | Aust. Bass | Silver Perch | Golden Perch | Freshw. catfish | Murray cod |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Park Lake | Dept. Sust. & Envir. | 3/04 | 0.4 | - | - | 4,000 | - | - |
| Allan's Flat Drdg | Yackand. Ang. Cl. | 3/04 | 0.7 | - | - | 800♦ | - | - |
| Boosey Creek | Tungam. Ang. Cl. | 4/04 | 1.2 | - | - | 4,000#♦ | - | - |
| Bullen Merri Lake | RHFF | 11/03 | 0.9 | 15,000◊ | - | - | - | - |
| Corryong Creek | Corryong Ang. Cl. | 4/04 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5,000♦ |
| 1 | - | - | - | - | 3,500◊ | - | - | |
| Lake Eildon | RHFF | 2/04 | 0.3 | - | - | - | - | 50,000◊ |
| Goulburn River | RHFF | 1/04 | 0.8 | - | - | - | - | 25,000◊ |
| Greens Lake (Corop) | RHFF | 1/04 | 1.7 | - | - | 7,750◊ | - | - |
| Kyabram Angl. Cl. | 1/04 | 1.7 | - | - | 7,750♦ | - | - | |
| Wimmera River | NFA & WNFF | 11/03 | 2 - 3 | - | 1,200 | - | - | - |
| NFA & WNFF | 11/03 | 50+ | - | - | - | 300 | - | |
| Gunbower Creek | Gunbower Angl. Cl. | 2/04 | 1.5 | - | - | - | - | 1,000♦ |
| Dept. Sust. & Envir. | 7/03 | 250 | - | - | - | - | 100Θ | |
| Loddon River (Kerang) | Dept. Sust. & Envir. | 7/03 | 250 | - | - | - | - | 100 |
| Loddon River (Bridgewater) | Inglew. Footb. Cl. | 3/04 | 1.4 | - | - | 5,000♦ | - | - |
Species Totals | 15,000 | 1,200 | 32,800 | 300 | 81,200 |
3. Total Releases
| Aust. Bass | Golden Perch | Murray cod | Silver Perch | Freshwater catfish | Trout cod | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department | 10,000 | 620,725 | 243,979 | 15,000 | - | 30,000* | 919,704Δ |
| Client Groups | 15,000 | 32,800 | 77,700 | 1,200 | 300 | - | 130,500 |
Species Totals | 25,000 | 653,525 | 321,679 | 16,200 | 300 | 30,000* | 1,050,204Δ |
4. Notes
The Native Fish Release Program 2003/2004 involved 63 transport man-days with vehicles travelling about 25,400 km.Total release weights were 2,024kg for departmental releases and 99kg for client groups. The month and year of fish release is expressed as 3/04. The first digit is the month ie. 3 = March, the second two digits show the year 03 = 2003, 04 = 2004.
# - Internally marked for research purposes.
(z) - Average weight per fish in grams.
U/S - Water conditions unsuitable for stockin ie. low water level.
◊ - Fish transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of Furturefish
Foundation.
♦ - Fish purchased, transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of the club.
♣ - Gippsland strain Australian bass were not available this season.
♠ - Short falls of golden perch production
by private commercial hatcheries meant fish were unavailable.
♥ - Target for stocking Eildon and Hume was 200,000 golden perch, however shortfalls in production resulted in only 155,000 and 149,700 respectively.
Δ - Includes 30,000
Trout cod stocked by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).
Θ - Yearling Murray cod stocked by DSE as part of NAIDOC Week ( National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Observance Committee).
⊕ - Yearling cod
dart tagged or research purposes.
* - Funded by Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE).
† - RFL funds purchased these fish.
RHFF - Rex Hunt Futurefish Foundation
WNFF - Wartook Native Fish Farm
NFA - Native
Fish Australia
Acknowledgments
This Information Note was developed by Stewart McGlashan, East Melbourne.