Fish Habitat makes Waranga Golden Location for Perch

Fish habitat makes Waranga golden location for perch
 
Habitat has been installed in Waranga Basin, creating a sustainable golden perch fishery readily accessible by recreational fishers.
 
Fish habitats provide small ecosystems for different species of fish. The Waranga Basin fish habitat has been specifically designed for golden perch and constructed with a range of locally sourced materials, including river timber, plants, cinderblocks, and sleepers.
 
Construction of the habitat will be supported by the stocking of 700,000 golden perch fingerlings in the storage over the next three years.
 
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) Recreation and Land officer Chris Braden said Waranga Basin was the perfect location for the habitat.
 
“Waranga Basin is a very popular destination among both boaters and fishers,” he said.
 
“We get approximately 200,000 visitors to the basin each year.
 
“In recent years we have upgraded the Harriman Point boat ramp, and made numerous improvements to the facilities at the basin, including the installation of multiple all-ability facilities.
 
“The fish habitat is another piece of good news for people who frequent Waranga Basin and an excellent reason for those that don’t, to pay it a visit.”
 
The site will be located near Murray Drive, approximately 500m south of Waranga Boat Club.
 
Several factors determined where the fish habitat would be located, including the topography of the basin floor, the basin’s operating levels, minimising the impact of other users at the storage, and accessibility for fishers.
 
The habitat was constructed after Goulburn Valley Association of Angling Clubs (GVAAC) successfully applied to Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) for a grant. The Wedge Group designed the fish habitat and Campaspe Shire Council provided timber from its Rushworth to Murchison Rail Trail Project.
 
GVAAC chair Roland Huber said he was pleased to see the project come to fruition.
 
“It’s been a great effort from all the different agencies to see this project completed,” he said.
 
“A lot of people have helped out in researching the habitat’s location and design, so I’m confident it will be an excellent outcome for the community.”
 
Works on the habitat were completed on Friday 13 October.