VICTORIA’S fish stocking program is already a nation leader, and now the state houses the largest hatchery of its kind in the country, backed by significant state government investment.
Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos announced the completion of the Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery project, south of Shepparton, last week. The new facilities produce Murray cod and Golden perch fingerlings to be stocked into Victorian waterways.
The expansion is one of two backed by the $96M Go Fishing and Boating Victoria Plan, which also includes Macquarie perch breeding centre being built at Snobs Creek hatchery.
Construction at Arcadia took almost a year to complete and has nearly quadrupled the number of production ponds at the site, from 32 to 125. It includes brood ponds to hold mature breeding fish and shallow plankton ponds to grow out fingerlings to a size suitable to be released.
The project also included five water storages to hold up to 20 Olympic swimming pools worth of water, a larger indoor facility to incubate eggs and grow larvae, a bigger fish processing area to count and prepare fish for stocking, plus a new administrative building for staff.
When fully operational in coming seasons, Arcadia will have the ability to produce up to 6M native fish each season, more than half of the 10M fish released across the state annually, and more than any other state or territory in the country combined.
The hatchery is also home to a Visitor Centre, which features a pond stocked with Murray cod and golden perch, adventure playground, BBQ and picnic facilities, and a range of educational materials for visitors.
The project led by Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) supported 20 jobs through several locally based contractors.
Next year, VFA will showcase the hatchery at its annual Arcadia Open Day in autumn 2026, with guided tours and other family-friendly activities. To learn more about the expansion, go to vfa.vic.gov.au
