Wild populations of one of Victoria's most prized recreational species have been given a lift thanks to the fourth year of dusky flathead stocking in East Gippsland.
Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) chief executive officer, Travis Dowling, said the fourth year of stocking would bolster numbers of the much-loved fish, found throughout Gippsland's estuaries. 
"We began our dusky flathead stocking program as a result of the Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan in 2021 and it was identified as being a big part of returning the lakes to their former glory as a recreational fishing mecca," he said.
"In four years we've stocked more than 155,000 duskies into the Gippsland Lakes and further east, which is great news for fishers and for local businesses that rely on tourism."
Stockings in recent weeks included the Gippsland Lakes (16,100 fingerlings), Bemm River (2500) and at Gypsy Point near Mallacoota (2500), forming a key part of the VFA's nation-leading fish stocking program.

IMAGE: Wild populations of the dusky flathead have been given a lift for the fourth year throughout East Gippsland.