Victorian Fisheries Authority leads fish relocation from Numurkah Lake

Published on 18 December 2019

From today, efforts will begin to transfer Numurkah Lake’s native fish into the nearby Broken Creek. 

Moira Shire Council’s General Manager Community Sally Rice said council was assisting the Victorian Fisheries Authority in the process that will involve electro-fishing and safely transferring the native fish to the Broken Creek with minimum trauma. 
“Electro fishing temporarily stuns the fish which allows them to be collected with nets. The native fish including Silver and Golden Perch will be released into the creek,” Ms Rice said.

Exotic (non-native) species such as carp will be euthanized and disposed of because they are a designated environmental pest. 
“The last few years have been hot and dry, with the lake receiving limited stormwater runoff from the surrounding residential areas,” she said. 
“With the water levels continuing to drop and forecasts for a hot and dry summer the fish are vulnerable to increasing water temperatures, decreasing oxygen levels and too many fish for the available space. 

“On advice from Victorian Fisheries Authority and previous experience we believe the best course of action is to relocate the native fish to the Broken Creek. We have brought forward the relocation because of the heat wave forecast for this week.” 
Victorian Fisheries Authority has engaged Austral Ecology to collect and relocate the fish to the Broken Creek via Electro-fishing with support and assistance from Victorian Recreational Fishing, Numurkah Angling club, Lakeside Resort and the GBCMA.