Tara Moriarty
Minister for Agriculture 
Minister for Regional New South Wales
Minister for Western New South Wales

Steve Whan
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education
Member for Monaro

MEDIA RELEASE

Trout hatchery improvements futureproofing iconic trout fishing tourism.

Monday, 8 April 2024

The NSW Government has invested more than $8 million in state-of-the-art upgrades to the Gaden Trout Hatchery in Jindabyne to help futureproof NSW's iconic trout fishing sector that contributes to regional development across the state.

The commitment of the Government to recreational fishing and sustainable regional development is demonstrated through this significant multi-million-dollar upgrade to the hatchery's production capabilities and tourist facilities.

The Gaden Trout Hatchery site by the Thredbo River and is one of Australian's main centres for breeding and rearing popular freshwater sportfish including Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Tiger Trout, and Atlantic Salmon.

Each year almost three million trout and salmon are produced at the Government's hatcheries in Jindabyne and Ebor and stocked across streams, lakes and rivers to boost recreational fishing opportunities. This is a major driver in attracting visitors to regional NSW.

Upgrades include a new hatchery featuring hi-tech Recirculating Aquaculture Systems that control water temperatures to allow faster and more efficient fingerling production, management of broodstock and capacity to rapidly rebuild fisheries following adverse environmental conditions such as drought or flood.

In addition to the upgrades to the hatchery, onsite education and visitor facilities have been expanded to ensure that Gaden Trout Hatchery continues to be a popular destination for tourism and recreational fishing education.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

"Since opening in the early 1950s, the Gaden Trout Hatchery has become one of Australia's main centres for breeding trout and salmon.

"The new upgrades will not only allow the Government's Fisheries team to breed and produce larger trout for stocking, but also to undertake more research to secure the future of some of our endangered native species.

"The NSW Government is committed to building a recreational fishing sector that thrives and supports regional communities.

"The ongoing success of the Government's trout stocking program, funding through the Recreational Fishing Trust, highlights the great work being done by the dedicated staff at the Gaden and Dutton Trout Hatcheries."

Member for Monaro and Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

"The $3.3 million funding from the NSW Government for the tourist centre upgrades at the Gaden Trout Hatchery will build on the popularity of trout fishing in the Snowy and give the growing tourism market a significant boost.

"Our Government's approach to developing the Snowy region demonstrates the sustainable and smart way we are going about delivering projects that have been talked about for years but needed us to finalise and deliver."