Opening of the Inland Fisheries new Trout Hatchery at New Norfolk

The Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Mr David Llewellyn officially opened the new Inland Fisheries Trout Hatchery at New Norfolk on Friday 24 August. The event was well attended with the Deputy Premier, Steve Kons and Treasurer, Mike Aird as well as the Mayor of New Norfolk, Nick Cracknell plus about 60 invited guests from industry, government and the angling community.

The Minister, David Llewellyn acknowledged the value of Tasmania’s world-renowned trout fishery, worth approximately $110 Million to State’s economy, and its importance to regional communities. He spoke about the history of the development of the recreational trout fishery, which began about 150 years ago and how the Salmon Ponds was the birthplace of trout in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mr Llewellyn explained that the need for improvements in the fish rearing facilities - traditionally run by the Inland Fisheries Commission at the Salmon Ponds - was recognised back in the 1940s and commended the Service on its initiative in redeveloping the hatchery operation. He remarked that the new development marked a new era in fishery management and reported the projected benefits to the Government and Tasmanian public, as well as specific benefits to anglers and other stakeholders of the fishery.

John Diggle, Director of Inland Fisheries also spoke at the opening, providing detail about the new hatchery. He stated that it would complement the Salmon Ponds operation and would give the Service essential control over its core business, the annual production and stocking of wild trout into public waters around the State.

John explained how the new hatchery uses contemporary aquaculture technology and a recirculating water system, which reuses water and increases productivity, compared with the conventional flow-through system. He said that it enabled the Service to control the optimal conditions for fish growth such as water quality, temperature, light exposure and dissolved oxygen, and meant that we can release larger, healthier specimens back into the wild at the most favourable times of the year, thus improving stocking effectiveness.

Ultimately, the newly constructed hatchery will benefit the Service in its sustainable management of the fishery. For the angler, the benefits are simply a better product and greater angling satisfaction, consistently over the long term. The first batch of brown trout grown at the new hatchery will be ready for stocking in November this year while the eggs from wild rainbows will be collected shortly and added to the production line.