AROUND 20 recreational anglers were out and about last weekend helpimng to catch brood fish on the Marlo and Bemm rivers for the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s estuary perch breeding program.
Called ‘Perch Search’, the program involves capturing male and female estuary perch and flying them up to a hatchery in Narooma NSW to reproduce.
A lot of care and technology goes into keeping these fish healthy in transit, so they arrive at the hatchery in prime breeding condition.
This year they caught 120 fish. The biggest was 50 cm. The smallest was 20 cm. The best 48 enjoyed the flight interstate.
The offspring of these perch will be used to stock lakes and rivers for rec fishers to enjoy.
The video above provides a snapshot of all the action from Gippsland.
To find out more about Perch Search, click HERE.
