General News
11 November, 2019
Bullen Merri receives 80,000 fingerlings
LAKE Bullen Merri received its biggest boost yet last week in terms of securing the future of the fishery.
LAKE Bullen Merri received its biggest boost yet last week in terms of securing the future of the fishery.
A total of 80,000 fish were released into the lake last Wednesday, the biggest individual stocking in the lake’s known history.
The release was made up of 30,000 chinook salmon fingerlings and 50,000 rainbow fingerlings.
Camperdown Angling Club secretary Dave Ritchie said the fish had come from the Fisheries Victoria Snobs Creek hatchery.
“It’s a really welcome boost for the lake after the disappointment of the fish kill which occurred at the lake last April,” he said.
“The fishing has been extremely poor since the fish kill.
“This injection of fingerlings is hoped to compensate for the losses sustained during the fish kill.”
Mr Ritchie said angling club members met with Fisheries Victoria representatives late last month to discuss the state of the lake and what action to take.
“The consensus was to use the fingerlings from Snobs Creek and to do so before the weather got too hot,” he said.
Weighing an average of three grams each, the fingerlings were expected to reach about two kilograms in 12 months.
“It’s a great boost for the lake and Camperdown as a whole,” he said.
“Both Lake Bullen Merri and Lake Purrumbete are known far and wide for their trout which draws anglers to the town.
“There are a lot of businesses in Camperdown which directly benefit from the fishery.”
A further 20,000 chinook salmon have also been scheduled for release into Lake Purrumbete.
