Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => News Views & Press Releases => Topic started by: Editor on February 09, 2011, 12:06:28 AM
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Fishing licence fees fund one million cod for Eildon
The Victorian Government recently released 30,000 Murray cod fingerlings into Lake Eildon as part of its commitment to restock the lake with an additional one million fish, thanks to an $800,000 project funded by Victorian recreational fishing licence fees.
One million cod will be released over three years, in addition to the 50,000 a year already being released. More than 380,000 Murray cod have now gone into the lake this summer stocking season, which is a native fish stocking record for any Victorian water.
Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Industries Bill Sykes was on hand for the release which marks the final stage of this season’s Murray cod stocking into Lake Eildon. The Government has committed to increasing funding by $4 million over the next four years for initiatives that will improve recreational fishing opportunities.
Lake Eildon will also be stocked with 200,000 golden perch fingerlings in autumn along with trout releases during the cooler months of 2011. These cod, perch and trout will grow very well, given the high water level and productive inundated ground that is brimming with microscopic life.
The project, titled ‘Murray Cod Million – Lake Eildon’, also involves active monitoring by a dedicated team of volunteer anglers and fisheries scientists from Snobs Creek. We will track the progress of this large pulse of juvenile cod by combining expert angler feedback with formal fish surveys by researchers.
Alexandra Fisheries Officers have reported good angler catches of Murray cod from Lake Eildon over the last year with many fish approaching minimum size and several over 80 centimetres. This confirms cod stockings over the last 15 years have worked, which bodes well for the expanded approach we are adopting for the next few years.
For more information about projects that are improving fishing opportunities by putting fishing licence fees to work visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing/feesatwork
Source: Vic DPI
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That is a serious number of cod!
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Lake Mulwala may have a little competition in the years to come. This is a great intiative. The pressure on Mulwala is extreme and having another lake within easy reach of the major population areas will remove a lot of that pressure. A pity that Cod don't have the same growth rates as impoundment Barra. Those trout fingerlings will make excellent Cod food too.
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Last i heard Mulwalla was in a bit of trouble with water level's but didnt think about how much fishing pressure its had to deal with .
1 million cod is an astronomical amount and a great goal to reach for, ive not heard of numbers like that before. well done
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Last i heard Mulwalla was in a bit of trouble with water level's but didnt think about how much fishing pressure its had to deal with .
1 million cod is an astronomical amount and a great goal to reach for, ive not heard of numbers like that before. well done
Are you talking total fish or just cod? Numbers of fish released into places like Somerset & Awoonga are well into several millions of fish stocked into each. Cod wise, that IS ALOT.....
Was at Lake Mulala not long back, was over flowing.... Can check water levels on the front page of the forum here....
Yarrawonga Weir: %Full= 92.04%, Current Volume (ML)= 108142
fitz..
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Last time i heard about Mulwala may have been a few years ago ... thats unreal i cant comprehend that amount.
Steve
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Mulwala empties most years. It's a bit like piddlin' in a bucket really. A good snow season sees most of the smaller lakes along the Murray fill.
I wonder what the 1 million Cod are going to eat in Eildon. There are trout there, and obviously Carp and Redfin, but one million apex predators added to an impoundment in a short time is going to hit the food base pretty hard, or cause stunted fish.