Golden dawn for new Rocklands fishery
by Tom Whitty 19 Dec 2017 15:27 AEDT
Murray cod caught at Rocklands Reservoir in early 2016 © Chris Spence
Victoria's newest recreational fishery is off to a golden start with the release of 130,000 golden perch and 95,000 Murray cod fingerlings at Rocklands Reservoir in western Victoria today. Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford said these golden perch complemented the 120,000 Murray cod fingerlings released earlier this month at Rocklands.
The stocking plan this summer is to release a total of 200,000 golden perch and 215,000 Murray cod into Rocklands, which will establish it as one of Victoria's premier native fisheries in five years' time. The Andrews Labor Government is investing a record $46 million into its Target One Million plan to get more people fishing more often, and this landmark stocking plan at Rocklands will do just that.
In the north east, Lake Eildon's tourism industry has enjoyed enormous growth off the back of an aggressive native fish-stocking plan in recent years and the same is expected at Rocklands Reservoir. The new fishery is expected to generate an additional $6 million in fishing-related expenditure each year in the region, as travelling anglers stay overnight and buy fuel, tackle and food.
Rocklands Reservoir boasts exceptional fish habitat that is perfectly suited to golden perch and Murray cod, which love to live close to sunken trees and woody snags. The reservoir already supports a large population of fish including redfin, carp, tench and trout, which are stocked annually. The Rocklands stocking plan was informed by a detailed independent risk-assessment that supports sustainable and responsible fishing.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford
"We said we'd boost fish stocking to five million and this summer's release of 415,000 native fish into the Rocklands will go a long way to achieving our goal. This is good news for anglers and even better news for the north west's tourism industry, and provides a real incentive for Victorian families wanting to get away and enjoy the great outdoors. This year alone more than four million fish have been stocked across Victorian waterways and with the summer holidays fast approaching, there has never been a better time to cast out a line and reel in a catch."