NSW Nationals Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall has visited Ebor’s Dutton Trout Hatchery, which is poised to play a major role in the state’s trout re-stocking program.
It’s all systems go for the Northern Tablelands facility, with drought conditions easing, and plans to protect the fishing industry.
“Last week I visited the hatchery to catch up with the dedicated staff there and also tried my hand at ‘stripping eggs’ from female rainbow trout, as part of the hatchery breeding program,” Mr Marshall said.
“The Ebor facility produces more than 1.6 million trout each year – around 1.3 million rainbow and 300,000 brown trout fry and fingerlings, in support of the State’s valuable recreational fishing sector.
“These fish are stocked in streams and impoundments throughout the New England and Central Tablelands to support our fantastic trout fisheries and all the socio-economic benefits that trout fishing offers.”
The breeding season has commenced at Ebor with both brown and rainbow trout being stripped of eggs and laid down for hatching, primed for stocking from October through to December.
In conjunction with the Gaden Trout Hatchery at Jindabyne, this is part of the NSW Nationals in Government’s overall stocking program of three million trout and salmon produced each year.
Local stocking is undertaken in close consultation with recreational fishing stakeholders at the New England trout Acclimatisation Society (NETAS), who provide advice on river conditions and help release fish in approved sites.
More than 500 of the tagged trout have been released as part of a study of growth rates and survival from redfin predation, and inclusion in the NSW Trout Strategy which aims to future-proof the recreational trout fishery.
“We’re very fortunate to have the State’s premier trout hatchery in our region and the dedicated and experienced team of staff here do an outstanding job keeping trout stocks at healthy levels throughout our State’s waterways,” Mr Marshall said.
