Valuing the native: River Blackfish vs. Rainbow Trout in late nineteenth and early-twentieth century Victoria

Abstract

In the early-twentieth century Victorian anglers reported that native blackfish populations were declining. Some anglers and scientists attributed this decline to competition from introduced brown trout. The Fisheries and Game Department rejected this argument because of the lingering influence of the mid- nineteenth acclimatisation movement. Earlier generations of anglers and scientists had strongly supported the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria’s trout introduction program, arguing either that trout would complement native fish or that if trout did drive native fish to extinction it would be no great loss. Valuing native blackfish over introduced trout was a significant cultural shift by Victorian anglers and scientists and is worthy of considered analysis.