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Native Fish Releases 2002/2003

FN 0160
Marc Ainsworth

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1. Native Fish Stocking Program

The Department’s native fish stocking program is designed to enhance native fish populations or establish new populations. Fish releases have two objectives: conservation and the provision of recreational fishing opportunities. In the case of trout cod the immediate aim is to ensure survival of this endangered species.

Stocking Plans are developed annually as part of the man-agement consultation process between Fisheries Victoria and DPI Regional staff. 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. VRFish, the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body, represents recreational anglers at these meetings.

Stocking Plans are subject to ‘last minute’ variation 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. DPI Regional staff and VRFish agree to amendments before implementation.


    Water Stocked
Month/
Year
Fish Size
(z)
Aust. Bass
Golden Perch
Murray Cod
Silver Perch
Trout Cod
    Albert Park Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Avoca River
2/03
0.7
-
17,000
-
-
-

2/03
1.0
-
-
10,000
-
-
    Batyo Catyo Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
U/S
-
    Blue Rock Dam 6
12/02
0.06
25,200
-
-
-
-

3/03
0.34
10,000
-
-
-
-
    Broken Creek
3/03
1.0
-
15,000
-
-
-
    Broken River
3/03
1.0
-
20,000
-
-
-
    Buffalo Lake
3/03
1.0
-
10,000
-
-
-
    Bullen Merri Lake
11/02
1.2
10,000
-
-
-
-
    Cairn Curran Res.
-
-
-
U/S
U/S
-
-
    Campaspe River







    Eppalock to Elmore
1/03
1.0
-
-
10,000
-
-
    Elmore to Rochester
1/03
1.0
-
-
10,000
-
-
    Axedale to Elmore
3/03
0.8
-
20,000
-
-
-
    Charm Lake
1/03
200
-
-
5007
-
-

3/03
0.8
-
5,0001
-
-
-
    Crusoe Reservoir
3/03
0.8
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Cudgewa Creek
1/03
1.0
-
-
10,000
-
-
    Cullulleraine Lake
2/03
1.3
-
-
20,200
-
-

3/03
0.8
-
10,000
-
-
-

3/03
0.36
-
-
-
10,000
-
    Eildon Lake
-
-
-
U/S
U/S
-
-
    Eppalock Lake
-
-
-
U/S
U/S
-
-
    Expedition Pass Res
2/03
1.2
-
-
250
-
-

3/03
0.8
-
1,000
-
-
-
    Glenmaggie Lake 6
12/02
0.06
16,800
-
-
-
-

3/03
0.34
15,000
-
-
-
-
    Goldfields Reservoir
3/03
0.8
-
2,000
-
-
-
    Goulburn River







    Stewart’s bridge to Toolamba
1/03
0.96
-
-
25,000
-

    Stewart’s bridge to Toolamba
1/03
189
-
-
2,5007
-
-
    Greens Lake (Corop)
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Gunbower Creek
1/03
0.9
-
-
31,000
-
-
    Hume Reservoir
3/03
1.0
-
35,0002
U/S
-
-
    Kangaroo Lake
1/03
200
-
-
1,0007
-
-

3/03
0.8
-
10,0001
-
-
-
    Kerford Lake
3/03
0.8
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Kiewa River (Kergunyah)
1/03
1.0
-
-
20,000
-
-
    King Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Kow Swamp
3/03
0.8
-
15,0001
-
-
-
    Laanecoorie Reservoir
3/03
0.8
-
10,000
-
-
-
    Landsborough Reservoir
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Little Boort Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Little Murray River
1/03
0.9
-
-
19,000
-
-
    Loch Garry
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Loddon River







    Above Bridgewater
1/03
200
-
-
1,0007
-
-
    Above Bridgewater
1/03
0.95
-
-
10,000


    Bridgewater to Kerang
1/03
0.95
-
-
10,000


    At Newbridge
3/03
0.7
-
7,500
-
-
-
    At Bridgewater
3/03
0.7
-
12,500
-
-
-
    Serpentine
3/03
0.7
-
12,500
-
-
-
    At Jarklin
3/03
0.7
-
7,500
-
-
-
    At Kerang
3/03
0.7
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Macalister 6








    below Lake Glenmaggie
3/03
0.34
2,350
-
-
-
-
    Meran Lake
-
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
    Mokoan Lake
-
-
-
U/S
U/S
-
-
    Nillahcootie Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Ovens River
1/03
1.0
-
-
-
-
44,2608
    Redbank Reservoir
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Reedy Lake (first)
1/03
200
-
-
5007
-
-

3/03
0.8
-
5,0001
-
-
-
    Richardson River
3/03
0.9
-
10,000
-
-
-
    Sambell Lake
3/03
0.7
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Serpentine Creek
3/03
0.7
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Seven Creeks
3/03
1.0
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Taylors Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Tchum Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Tullaroop Ck (Deep Ck)
3/03
0.8
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Victoria Lake (Shepp.)
3/03
1.0
-
2,500
-
-
-
    Waranga Basin
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Wooroonook Lake
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Wimmera River







    Elmhurst to Green Ck
3/03
1.25
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Dimboola
3/03
1.25
-
10,000
-
-
-
    Jeparit
3/03
1.25
-
7,000
-
-
-
    Horsham
3/03
1.25
-
5,000
5,000
-
-
    Glenorchy
3/03
1.25
-
5,000
-
-
-
    Gross’s bridge
3/03
1.25
-
2,000
-
-
-
    Horsham
3/03
0.38
-
-
-
5,000
-
    Yarriambiack Creek
-
-
-
U/S
-
-
-
    Species Total


679,350
296,500
189,950
15,000
44,260


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. Authorised releases for which no stocking report has been received will be listed at some future date when the required information is available. To indicate the extent of client group fish releases, details are presented as a separate section below.

NOTE: Under Section 530 of the Fisheries Regulations 1998, it is an offence to stock fish into any Victorian water, both pub-lic and private, without the written per-mission of the Director, Fisheries Victoria. Penalty: up to $2,000.

    Water Stocked
    Client Group
Month/
Year
Fish Size
(z)
Aust. bass
Golden perch
Murray cod
    Anderson Lake (Chiltern)
    Black Dog Game Fishing
-
-
-
U/S
U/S
    Broken Creek 5
    Picola Football Club
3/03
0.8
-
1,000
-
    Bullen Merri Lake5
    Futurefish Foundation
11/02
1.2
15,000
-
-
    Caravan Park L. (Wedderburn)
    Loddon Shire
5/03
2.0
-
600
-
    Goulburn River 4






    Below McCoy’s Bridge
    Futurefish Foundation
1/03
0.9
-
-
45,000
    Harrietville Dredge Hole
    Harrietville Prog. Ass.
n/a
-
-
500
-
    Hazelwood Pondage
    Futurefish Foundation
3/03
0.7
6,800
-
-
    Little Murray River 4
    Futurefish Foundation
1/03
0.9
-
-
10,000
    Loddon River 4






    Bridgewater to Kerang
    Futurefish Foundation
1/03
1.0
-
-
15,000
    Numurkah Lake
    Numurhah Fishing Club
4/03
-
-
4,040
-
    Goldfields Reservoir 2
    Central Goldfields Shire
3/03
0.8
-
1,000

    Wimmera River 4
    Futurefish Foundation
3/03
0.8
-
-
5,000
    Richardson River 4
    Futurefish Foundation
3/03
0.9
-
-
6,000
    Species Totals



21,800
7,140
81,000

3. Total Releases


Aust. Bass
Golden Perch
Murray Cod
Silver Perch
Trout Cod
Total
    Department
79,350
296,500
185,950
15,000
44,260
621,060
    Client Groups
21,800
7,140
81,000
-
-
109,940
    Species Totals
101,150
303,640
266,950
15,000
44,260
731,000

4. Notes

The Native Fish Release Program 2002/2003 involved 50 transport man-days with vehicles travelling 22,247 km.

Total release weights were 1,652kg for Departmental releases. These totals do not include the weights for several client group releases where no weight of fish data is available (noted by ‘n.a.’). The month and year of fish release is expressed as 02/03. The first two digits are the month i.e. 3 = March, the second two digits show the year 02 = 2002, 03 = 2003.

U/S - Water conditions unsuitable for stocking ie. low water level.

(z) - Average weight per fish in grams.


1 - Internally marked for research purposes.
2 - Golden Perch stocked by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of NSW Fisheries.
3 - Fish purchased, transported & released by Fisheries Victoria using RFL funds, on behalf of the Shire.
4 - Fish transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of the Futurefish Foundation.
5 - Fish purchased, transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of the Club.
6 - RFL funds contributed towards the purchase of these Australian bass.
7 - Dart tagged for research purposes.
8 -Funded by Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE).

This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its officers do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

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