The State Government is helping freshwater anglers reel in more fish thanks to a record number of Murray cod fingerlings grown at the fish hatchery at Snobs Creek.
The Snobs Creek team has eclipsed their previous record of 649,000 cod by growing 744,000 fingerlings this season. With five more ponds at the hatchery still to harvest, there could be another 100,000 Murray cod for release.
When these cod are added to fingerlings bought from private hatcheries, the total is even more impressive and likely to surpass 1.6 million Murray cod for the summer.
Many of those cod have been released into Lake Eildon, Rocklands Reservoir, Lake Hume including the Mitta Mitta River upstream, Goulburn River, Lake Eppalock and Taylors Lake near Horsham.
The Murray cod production success at Snobs Creek is likely the result of favourable climate conditions with a mild spring followed by a hot summer allowing two rotations of the growing ponds.
Extra ponds built at Snobs are now mature and at full productivity, and more broodfish Murray cod are being held onsite in better conditions than ever before.
Golden perch stocking is nearing completion too, with more than 2.1 million fingerlings stocked into waters such as Lake Eildon, Rocklands Reservoir, Goulburn River, Lake Hume, Lake Eppalock and Wimmera River.
The State Government is working to ensure Victoria's fishing industry is independent and not reliant on importing fish stocks from New South Wales by increasing fish stocking to 10 million fish per year, and building a new native fish hatchery in Shepparton.
Snobs Creek fish production is funded by fishing licence fees and the Government's $27 million Target One Million plan that aims to get more people fishing, more often.
