Victorian recreational fishers will enjoy even better angling opportunities in the years ahead thanks to 12 new projects funded through the reinvestment of fishing licence fees.
Minister for Outdoor Recreation Sonya Kilkenny said the state government had reinvested more than $1.6 million to create more fish habitat, education, research, access and facilities.
“Investing fishing licence fees into worthwhile projects will ensure Victoria’s fantastic fisheries continue to go from strength to strength,” Ms Kilkenny said.
“We recognise the benefits of recreational fishing for tourism, wellbeing and relationships – which is why we’re investing more than ever into better facilities, piers, boat ramps, fishing clubs and hatcheries.”
OzFish Unlimited will replenish several recreational fishing reefs around Port Phillip Bay with recycled shell material to create more homes and feeding sites for popular species, including snapper, calamari, whiting and flathead.
OzFish will also host six native fish habitat forums in northern Victoria to get more locals involved in waterway restoration efforts.
More snags will be added to the Gippsland Lakes to increase fish habitat for flagship species such as bream, estuary perch and Australian bass.
An upgrade at Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo will create deeper pools and channels, install snags, and provide better access for non-powered watercraft.
At Cairn Curran Reservoir, an all-abilities amenity block at Picnic Point will help more people enjoy the freshwater fishery – one that’s shared in the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s (VFA) record stocking of more than 26 million fish across Victoria over the last three years.
Karkarook Lake in Moorabbin will receive an upgraded bore pump to maintain its water level, ensuring stocked populations of rainbow trout and Murray cod continue to thrive, and Melbourne’s 3ZZZ radio station will produce a multilingual education campaign to assist fishers from multicultural communities.
An upgrade to Gunbower Weir’s fishway will help the native Murray cod and golden perch move freely throughout this popular inland fishery.
More research and development into captively breeding Macquarie perch, a threatened species, will accelerate the recovery of wild populations and complement a $5 million investment from the State Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan to upgrade the VFA’s Snobs Creek hatchery near Eildon.
The VFA will also monitor recreational catches in Port Phillip, Western Port, Corner Inlet and the Gippsland Lakes and produce the Recreational Fishing Guide, fish rulers and measures for abalone, Murray crays and rock lobster.
Over the next four years, the state government has invested more than $96 million to improve fishing, boating, piers and aquaculture.
For more information, visit vfa.vic.gov.au/fishinggrants.
