January 9, 2024
Over the summer break, our Chairman, Rob Loats, was thrilled to help the Victorian Fisheries Authority release 150 juvenile Murray spiny freshwater crayfish into the Little Murray at Swan Hill.
Another stocking of 150 juvenile crayfish also occurred in the lower Goulburn River, near Shepparton. Corey Walker from the Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club assisted the Victorian Fisheries Authority to stock the tiny crayfish, measuring around 2-3 cm in length.
The crayfish were released as a trial stocking ahead of the completion of the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s new conservation hatchery at Snobs Creek this year. Stocking the crayfish will support Victoria’s flood recovery response, and provide a boost to Murray spiny freshwater crayfish populations in our waterways.
The crayfish were hatched from a berried female in early November 2023, and their time at the Snobs Creek hatchery gave the conservation team valuable data on growth rates, food preferences, moulting success and survivability to maximise their success. This data will provide more insight to successfully breed freshwater crayfish, including the South Gippsland spiny freshwater crayfish, which will become a part of the breeding trials in 2024.
This work by the Victorian Fisheries Authority will form part of a larger effort to assist in the recovery of a range of vulnerable and endangered Victorian freshwater fish, crayfish and mussels in collaboration with other organisations, such as Arthur Rylah Institute and Traditional Owners.
The new conservation hatchery will feature state-of-the-art equipment including new aquariums and recirculation systems. It is a partnership between the Victorian Government and the Commonwealth Government.
