January 19, 2024
Image: Victorian Fisheries Authority
Macquarie perch, or as they’re affectionately known by recfishers ‘Maccas’, were once abundant and widespread throughout the south-eastern Murray-Darling system.
For decades, Macquarie perch populations have experienced a decline in both distribution and abundance in Victorian waterways. Barriers to fish passage, loss of healthy habitat, diseases, pest species and bushfires have all contributed to the mass decline in population. There are now only a handful of self-sustaining wild Macquarie perch populations remaining Australia-wide in isolated and disconnected waterways. As a result, they are a nationally endangered species.
The largest self-sustaining populations in Victoria are located in Lake Dartmouth on the Mitta Mitta River in north-east Victoria and a population in the Yarra River that was translocated in the 1920’s. There are also small and isolated populations throughout the Goulburn-Broken catchment.
To protect our endangered Macquarie perch populations, they’ve now been given a statewide protected status by the Victorian Fisheries Authority. That means Macquarie perch cannot be caught or targeted by recreational fishers from any waterway in Victoria.
Until recently, there were only two selected waters in Victoria where recreational fishers could catch Macquarie perch. Now, they have bag limit of 0 in all Victorian waterways and recreational fishing for Macquarie perch anywhere in Victoria is fully prohibited.
This aims to give the endangered species a chance to re-establish their wild populations and thrive, not just survive, in Victoria’s lakes and rivers.
In 2023, the Victorian Fisheries Authority commenced a three-year project to understand how to successfully breed Macquarie perch in captivity, called ‘Cracking the Code on Captive Breeding of Macquarie Perch’. The project aims to understand how to consistently produce fingerlings for stocking, and will examine everything that is needed to breed Macquarie perch in captivity, including: nutrition, hormones, the timing of breeding and more.
The Victorian Government has invested $15 million to develop the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Snobs Creek and Arcadia fish hatcheries. The ongoing work will ensure all Murray cod production can move to Arcadia which will allow an increase in capacity at Snobs Creek for Macquarie perch production.
