SHEPPARTON company, APEX Earthworks, has been awarded the contract to start construction of a new $7M native fish hatchery at Arcadia, on the banks of the Goulburn River.
Minister for Fishing and Boating, Melissa Horne, said the earthworks contract will involve the construction of 32 ponds and employ up to 20 people on and off site.
The new hatchery is a key part of the State Government’s $35M investment into getting more people fishing, more often and in more places, and will boost the supply of popular freshwater species for stocking.
The ponds, each 30m x 60m that will include 20 plankton ponds, will be used to grow newly-hatched native fish larvae that feed on microscopic creatures called zooplankton. After about 10 weeks, the fish reach one gram and are ready for stocking into public waters. The remaining 12 ponds will hold large Murray cod and golden perch breeding fish.
Once complete, the new hatchery will produce around 1.6 million native fish annually including Murray cod and golden perch initially, and potentially freshwater catfish and silver perch in the future.
The ponds are being constructed on the 170-hectare property, now owned by the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and chosen for its warm climate, elevation, high quality ground and surface water and clay soils, perfect for pond building. The property also boasts two houses and 130 hectares of land ideal for fish farming.
Pond construction will be complete by May and the hatchery operational by November.
The VFA has an Indigenous employment target for Arcadia of 50 percent and has also funded the Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club to build a community-events trailer to promote fishing and help connect Indigenous youth to country.
