New fish hatchery site decided.

After some months of negotiations and evaluations, the Victorian Government has settled on a site to be purchased on which a new fish hatchery will be constructed,

Minister for Fishing and Boating, Jaala Pulford said, “The new fish hatchery is a flagship commitment of a $35 million Target One Million plan to get more people fishing, more often, and will grow millions of native fish annually to boost wild stocks for recreational fishers in Victorian rivers and lakes.

“The Victorian Fisheries Authority’s (VFA) Snobs Creek hatchery near Eildon is at full capacity and a new hatchery at Shepparton will help us grow more cod and yellas and expand native fish stocking for generations to come.”

The new hatchery site has an ideal climate for growing native fish such as golden perch, Murray cod, silver perch and over-time freshwater catfish.

The property was selected after assessing twenty-one other possible sites. Short-listed sites were subjected to detailed soil and water quality testing.

The site is over 170 hectares and has idyllic features to support a fish hatchery including a 60-megalitre storage dam, 1 kilometre of Goulburn River frontage, clay for building ponds and a range of high-quality water supply options.

The VFA will take possession of the site in early 2020 and with detailed design, the approval process and construction will begin shortly after. The hatchery is on track to be completed by the end of 2021.

Learn more about the new hatchery at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/nativehatchery.