April 2, 2025
Photos supplied: Victorian Fisheries Authority
Northern Victoria’s freshwater catfish populations are on the road to recovery with more than 25,000 fish ready to relocated to their new homes.
Freshwater catfish have been collected from a private dam near Lancefield and lakes at Hopetoun and Woomelang in the Mallee region and relocated to 10 Victorian waterways and the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery.
The fish captured from Woomelang and Lancefield ranged in size from 3 centimetres to 45cm. These fish were moved to Fish from Woomelang and Lancefield ranged in size from three centimetres to 45cm. Fish were moved to the Ovens River (580 catfish), upper Broken Creek (290), Campaspe River near Elmore (163) Phyland Lagoon at Gunbower (181), Beechworth’s Lake Sambell (290), Dunyak Moira at Merrigum (171), Harcourt Park Dam in Bendigo (165) and a dam near Upotipotpon (290), while 18 large fish were released into Sandilong Creek near Mildura.
An additional 23,000 fish were recently salvaged from Lake Lascelles at Hopetoun and have been taken to the Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery near Shepparton for genetic testing. The majority of these fish will be released into suitable waters in coming weeks with around 75 mature fish being retained at the facility for future breeding.
The project is a collaboration between North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Mallee CMA, Goulburn Broken CMA and North East CMA, Ecology Australia, traditional owner groups, recreational fishers and the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
This project compliments work to recover freshwater catfish populations in northern Victoria. In 2023 and 2024, there were three relocations of catfish from the Glenelg River in Victoria’s south-west to waterways in northern Victoria including the Little Murray River, Lake Sambell near Beechworth, Harcourt Park Dam in Bendigo and Broken Creek near Nathalia.
Recreational take of freshwater catfish is prohibited in all parts of Victoria except the Wimmera Basin. Bag and minimum legal size limits apply for freshwater catfish in the Wimmera Basin, view the regulations on the Victorian Fisheries Authority website here.
