Trout cod reintroduced to Campaspe River

MORE than twenty-six thousand trout cod were recently released in the Campaspe River between Axedale and Rochester, marking their first appearance in the waterway for decades.

The release is part of a record 141,000 trout cod and nearly 100,000 Macquarie perch recently set free into 11 bodies of water, backed by the State Government in a $15 million investment into expanding fish hatcheries.

Others included in this tranche of the program include the Goulburn, King and Kiewa Rivers, plus Corryong Creek.

“Record stocking of trout cod is another important step towards the recovery of this threatened species, which was once common in Victoria’s northeast rivers,” Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos said.

“Our investment into growing our hatcheries is paying dividends and will mean more fish in our rivers and lakes across the state.”

Since 2014, more than 66 million fish have been released across Victoria including golden perch, Australian bass, estuary perch, trout, salmon and dusky flathead – more than all other Australian states and territories combined.

This has included more than 22 million Murray cod at over 60 locations across the state.

Lake Eppalock alone has scored 2.4 million cod, with locals and visitors now catching increasing numbers of fish – which are likely upward of three-to-four years old.

Several other waterways are also reportedly flourishing such as Melton Reservoir, Cairn Curran, Taylors Lake near Horsham, Eildon and Lake Nillahcootie.

For the full list of stocked waters and fish numbers, please visit the Victorian Fisheries Authority website.