A dry spring and summer has slowed the Ballarat Fish Hatchery’s sales somewhat, but work continues at the historic establishment, which is approaching its 146th year of continuous operation.
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Run entirely by volunteers, with the support of the Ballarat City Council, the hatchery is managed by the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society and releases 6000 brown trout in Lake Wendouree each year. It survives on the sales of fish stocks to farmers and angling clubs for stocking dams. President Frank Gray says things have been tight with the ongoing dry weather, but Fisheries Victoria will assist the society with any unsold fish they may have, as they are pushing to increase fish releases across the state.
Mr Gray says that whether or not the hatchery is selling fish, there is constant maintenance being undertaken to improve and modernise the procedures at the heritage-listed institution. Society members are drawn from all walks of life – doctors, taxidermists, earth removalists, pilots, ambulance drivers – but they are all passionate about fishing and putting something back into the sport by helping raise the stock.
The hatchery draws water from a bore located within the grounds which is delivered to the fish hatching basins at 16 degrees, aiding in cooling the fingerling trout, which will die if water temperature rises beyond 28 degrees. Currently the hatchery has about 60,000 fish available. Mr Gray says fish are sold in any size from eyed-up eggs to about 30cm. Currently there a a number of fish sold for aquaponic systems as well as for stocking dams, anywhere from a dozen to thousands.
He says society members are doing a lot of work in the run up to the spawning season in June, especially at the southern end of the hatchery, in moving away from older, shallower raceways for raising fish to narrower deeper ones. In addition, fences are being raised by the members in preparation for open days during the Begonia Festival, and sprays are being employed to lower water temperatures and lessen stock losses.
“The northern end of the hatchery we try to keep in more of its original state, with the brick tanks and old races. Some of the later pits are starting to get a bit of concrete cancer, they’re a bit out-of-date. We’re replacing those over time. We’re doing a lot of work, and we’re always looking for new members.”