Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (15:00): On Thursday 6 June I had the pleasure of having a private tour of the Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery, in which the Victorian government has invested $7 million towards breeding and releasing 1.6 million native fish back into our waterways this year alone, with a further $10 million for the development and expansion of the site’s production to release 6 million fish a year. I use the term ‘invested’ confidently, as the facility is being managed by passionate and highly qualified professionals who are dedicated to breeding and releasing millions of native fish, predominantly golden perch and Murray cod, back into our Victorian waterways each year.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority has repurposed an old dairy farm and its existing buildings into a family-friendly and accessible recreational and educational facility. The facility also boasts 20 production ponds, a large free public fishing pond, a playground, barbecues and a high-tech breeding and hatchery facility that is kept with the utmost biosecurity measures and efficiency. I was impressed by the overall cleanliness of the entire facility and shared the staff’s excitement about the upcoming breeding season and future development of the site. I would like to thank Ryan for the thorough tour and answering the overwhelming amount of questions I had for him.