THE Victorian Government has approved more than $1.6 million in funding for projects that will improve recreational fishing opportunities across the state.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said money from the sale of Recreational Fishing Licences had been allocated to 12 new projects across Victoria that will improve fish habitat, build stronger fisheries and improve facilities for fishers of all abilities.
“Fishing is one of Victoria’s most important recreational pastimes and makes a vital
contribution to regional employment and local economic activity,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Coalition Government wants to make sure our 720,000 recreational fishers have the
best fishing conditions possible and these grants help to make that happen.”
This year’s round of large grants allocated under the Department of Environment and Primary Industries’ Recreational Fishing Grants Program include:
· $300,000 over three years to the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to
improve fish habitat and build fish populations in East Gippsland waterways;
· $263,206 over three years to Fisheries Victoria to better understand the recreational
catch of snapper in Victorian waters;
· $150,000 over three years to improve Murray Cod fishing in Victoria;
· $115,667 to Lake Purrumbete Angling Club Inc. to assess the performance of recently
stocked chinook salmon into Lake Purrumbete and Lake Bullen Merri;
· $114,000 over three years for the Victorian Fishers for Fish Habitat Program;
· $113,500 over three years to Fishcare Victoria Inc. to conduct 300 FishRight
workshops around Victoria;
· $58,510 over two years to Monash University to improve the Macquarie perch fishery;
· $38,800 to VRFish to conduct a recreational fisher awareness campaign to reduce
released snapper mortality;
· $45,000 to improve fish migration through the Broken River Weir;
· $40,000 to build an all-abilities fishing platform on the northern breakwater at St.
Helens Boat Harbour at Geelong;
· $39,426 to the Association of Geelong & District Angling Clubs Inc. to build an allabilities
fishing platform at Aire River, Glenaire; and
· $22,000 to develop a recreational fishing strategy for the Docklands precinct.
Walsh said a further $224,000 of Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account funds had
been allocated for recreational fisheries education and communications materials. These include funds to produce and circulate 300,000 copies of the 2013-14 Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, 200,000 fish length ruler stickers and 500 metal fish length rules, 20,000 abalone, rock lobster and spiny crayfish rulers in three languages, 1,000 abalone dive tags and 30,000 ‘Know your (fish) limits’ pocket cards in four languages.
More information about the Recreational Fishing Grants Program is available at:
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/about-fisheries/fishing-grants-program
