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Managing Inland Native Fisheries for the Benefit of Provincial Victoria

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Managing Inland Native Fisheries for the Benefit of Provincial Victoria DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Managing Inland Native Fisheries for the Benefit of Provincial Victoria Go Fishing in Victoria DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Introduction protection; education; communication; and enforcement. Victoria’s waters range from fast, snow- fed streams in the mountains, to lazy Catchment-based management plans rivers and creeks flowing down to the are being prepared in accordance with sea. They include inland lakes, river the Fisheries Act 1995. Their purpose systems and water storages, estuarine is to specify policies and strategies for and marine inshore waters and marine the management of specific fisheries. offshore waters out to the 3 nautical mile Management plans describe the main limit. Victoria’s recreational fisheries are fishing waterways, key recreational target diverse and geographically extensive. species and associated management The recreational fishing industry brings arrangements. Plans also identify significant economic and social value, performance indicators, targets and actions and is estimated to involve over 550,000 for managing recreational fishing activities. participants annually. When preparing management plans, Fisheries Victoria, a division of the Fisheries Victoria seek the views of Department of Primary Industries (DPI), recreational fishers and other community manages Victoria’s fisheries resources stakeholders to identify values and issues within an ecologically sustainable associated with fishing. development (ESD) framework to ensure fish now and for the future. This involves developing and implementing policies and Value and popularity projects and delivering a range of services. of inland angling Almost half of the angling effort in Fisheries management Victoria occurs on freshwater lakes, rivers and streams, resulting in major A variety of practices are used in the economic and social benefits to regional management of freshwater fisheries. The communities. Inland anglers spend more State Government supports recreational than $170 million per year in activities native fisheries through stocking; associated with pursuing various planning; research; construction and freshwater species with Murray cod, maintenance of infrastructure assisting golden perch and Australian bass being the angler access; habitat restoration and more frequently targeted native species. Recreational anglers enjoy the benefits of effective fisheries management practices. MANAGING NATIVE FISHERIES Go Fishing in Victoria Victoria’s native fish As part of the Moving Forward statement, Native recreational species are subject the State Government has committed $3.2 to various combinations of bag and million over four years to the Go Fishing in possession limits, size limits and closed Victoria initiative to increase opportunities seasons. For information on regulations for recreational fishing across provincial refer to the Victorian Recreational Victoria, improve recreational fishing Fishing Guide. facilities and infrastructure and boost opportunities for fishing as a family activity. Murray cod As part of the initiative, sections of the Maccullochella Hopkins, Goulburn and Kiewa rivers will peelii peelii be developed and promoted as Premier Murray cod are the largest Rivers. Preferred river stretches have been species of freshwater fish in selected in consideration of their high Australia and have been known recreational angling value and accessibility. to reach over 100 kilograms. An information package will be developed Distribution is widespread throughout for each of the river stretches identifying the Murray-Darling system. They have key access points and the type of fishing also been successfully introduced into experience and facilities they provide. a number of other impoundments. Two of the three Premier Rivers contain Habitat requirements include deep holes populations of native species with high in river systems and ample in-stream recreational value. The lower Goulburn cover. Scientific tracking studies have River downstream from Murchison offers demonstrated that Murray cod make many land-based access points and relatively large upstream movements to contains good populations of Murray cod spawn before making a return journey. and golden perch. The lower section of Murray cod are stocked annually into many the Kiewa River between Dederang and its Victorian lakes and rivers. Productive confluence with the Murray River supports waters for recreational anglers seeking a stock enhanced Murray cod fishery. The Murray cod include the Goulburn, Loddon, Hopkins River offers quality fishing for Ovens, Campaspe and Kiewa rivers and estuarine species such as black bream and impoundments such as Lake Eildon. estuary perch. Popular methods include bait fishing This initiative also involves the current with yabbies, bardi grubs or shrimp from development of five Premier Lakes which sandbars and around snags. Other anglers will be partly stocked with large (>1kg) prefer to try and entice cod out of their rainbow trout and will be the focus of hides by casting various types of lures free Family Fishing Events. For further from the bank or trolling from a boat. information on the Go Fishing in Victoria initiative visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/gofishing Murray cod are a highly prized fish, with many anglers choosing to release large fish like this immediately after capture. DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Australian bass are known to reach 57 centimetres in length and 3.4 kilograms in weight, but are most commonly caught between 750 grams and 1 kilogram. The Australian bass is carnivorous, feeding in estuaries mainly on shrimp, insects, worms and smaller fishes. In freshwater they will Silver perch also feed on terrestrial insects that fall into the water. Golden Inland waters in the Gippsland region such perch as Blue Rock Lake and Lake Glenmaggie, as Macquaria ambigua well as Lake Bullen Merri in the South–West Golden perch occur naturally in tributaries have all been stocked with Australian bass of the Murray-Darling system. Introduced for recreational purposes. Wild populations populations exist in a number of other can be found in streams such as the Snowy waters, streams and lakes. and Genoa rivers. Golden perch can adapt to a variety of Australian bass in these lakes are most Macquarie perch environments but occur most frequently active during the warmer months. They in warm, discoloured, slow moving inland are a highly regarded sports fish and waters and associated backwaters and require a good deal of finesse to catch with billabongs. Also referred to as ‘yellowbelly’, any regularity. Light rods and tackle are they are commonly caught up to about 5 required and a variety of soft plastic and kilograms in weight by anglers, but can small bibbed lures can be used to tempt grow larger. this species. Popular waters for golden perch include Other native species impoundments such as Lake Eildon, Anglers may encounter a number of other Lake Eppalock and Lake Hume and the native species in Victoria. Silver perch, Catfish Goulburn, Campaspe and Loddon rivers. Macquarie perch and freshwater catfish Smaller streams such as the Broken Creek can only be legally taken from a small are also productive. number of defined waters. They are also Fishing methods are similar to that for heavily regulated by bag and possession Murray cod with baits such as worms, limits. shrimp and small yabbies favoured. Blackfish inhabit coastal and inland Casting spinnerbaits and bibbed lures is streams throughout the state and are a an active and exciting way to fish for nocturnal species that can be caught on golden perch. Blackfish scrubworms and yabbies. Long and short- finned eels are also popular with some anglers in streams and lakes throughout the southern half of the state. Endangered species such as the trout cod and Australian grayling are fully protected. Taking or attempting to take these fish, including catch and release, is prohibited. Australian grayling Other recreational fishing opportunities are provided by crustaceans such as yabbies and spiny freshwater crayfish Australian bass which are popular catch amongst anglers. Yabbies are prolific throughout much of Macquaria novemaculeata northern Victoria and can be captured with Australian bass occur naturally in Victoria, recreational hoop nets and baited lines. east of Wilsons Promontory. Found in Spiny freshwater crayfish are most active coastal rivers and lakes, they are tolerant during the colder months of the year. of freshwater and can move well upstream. Trout cod MANAGING NATIVE FISHERIES Habitat requirements of of instream objects such as logs and rocks depletes habitat. Introduced species native fish compete with native species for habitat Native species distributed through the and food. state’s north (ie. Murray cod, golden perch Poor land management practices such as and freshwater catfish) show a preference the removal of riparian vegetation and for warm, turbid, sluggish waters, and unrestricted stock access lead to erosion require structures such as logs and stumps and siltation problems. This has major that afford cover and provide spawning sites. implications for the health of Victoria’s Australian bass occur naturally in the native fish. estuarine and freshwater stretches of coastal rivers. Macquarie perch prefer Habitat rehabilitation the cooler, upper reaches of Victorian Efforts are now being made to address tributaries in the Murray-Darling system, the habitat loss and deterioration of and river blackfish are found in rivers with
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