LOCAL anglers will benefit from an almost $200,000 funding injection to restock river systems across the region, a local fishing expert says.
Last Friday, the State Government announced it will invest more than $1 million of revenue from the sale of recreational fishing licences into the state’s fisheries.
Hunter Marine’s Andrew Ash said around $185,000 of the investment money would go into waterways used by local anglers.
This included $100,000 over three years to improve Murray cod fishery management, $67,477 to increase fish habitat in Pyramid Creek and $18,000 for the Birchip and District Angling Club to re-snag Tchum Lake.
“It’s good they’re allocating this much to the north of the state,” Mr Ash said.
“Pyramid Creek supplies the water to Lake Charm and Kangaroo Lake and the channel system that everyone fishes down there, so a lot of Swan Hill people go down there to fish… that will certainly be enjoyed with the extra yellowbelly and Murray cod.”
Mr Ash said Victorian fishery authorities always did well to support local anglers.
“Victorian fisheries are doing a really good job in relation to our local area because they’ve got their ongoing stocking program, for which they’ve been putting fish in Lake Boga, Kangaroo Lake, Lake Charm and the Loddon River, which are all part of that Pyramid Creek scheme,” he said.
“That’s been going now for several years, and certainly the local anglers have seen the benefit of that, with good numbers of yellowbelly and some Murray cod being caught in our local lake system.”
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (August 17).
