Fishers hooked by bolstered numbers

Minister Jaala Pulford, Bass Labor candidate Jordan Crugnale and a giant trout. Picture: Rowan Forster

By Rowan Forster

Lakeside Lake has been stocked to the brim with trout to celebrate the release of six million fish into Victorian waterways.
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford stopped in Pakenham on Thursday to tout the Labor government’s $46 million initiative to bolster the recreational fishing industry.
Several times each year, the Pakenham waterway has been topped up with 500 rainbow trout to help locals net a catch.
TV personality and Future Fish Foundation director David Kramer said the initiative was a huge win for families and fishing enthusiasts.
“If you said to someone in Pakenham about going trout fishing years ago, they’d be packing their bags and driving about an hour and a bit,” he said.
“Now they can just pop down to the lake with their friends and family – it’s an absolute game changer.”
To mark the occasion, another batch of trout was released into Lakeside Lake.
Aspiring fisherman Tim Clough, 11, said he couldn’t wait to reel a line with his father.
“It’s fun to do it after school and get out of homework,” he said.
The majority of the fish released were grown at the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s own hatchery at Snobs Creek, near Eildon.
Ms Pulford believes the initiative will reap benefits for Pakenham’s economy.
“We recognise fish stocking creates new fisheries across Victoria and supports regional businesses that depend on nature-based tourism,” she said.