Media Release:Recreational fishing nets a $1.6 million boost

[fishingvic]

Thursday 16 May 2013

Recreational fishing nets a $1.6 million boost

The Victorian Coalition Government has approved more than $1.6 million in new funding for a range of 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 all-abilities fishing platform at Aire River, Glenaire; and
$22,000 to develop a recreational fishing strategy for the Docklands precinct.

Mr Walsh said a further $224,000 of Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account funds had been allocated for a range of 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: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/abo ... ts-program" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rixter]

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[WyldFisher]

Awesome! Good to see the money from licence being put to good use.

[Fish-cador]

how about access to the better half of Mornington Pier? :tease:

[poodoo]

how about access to the better half of Mornington Pier? :tease:

They ran out of budget for that and we ended up with half a pier! I'm still waiting for them to fix long jetty......

[frozenpod]

And the Toora boat ramp but by the looks of it neither will ever happen.

[Fish-Hunter]

Am glad $$ are flowing into Rec fishing related projects .

[Rogue_Hunter]

how about access to the better half of Mornington Pier? :tease:

FC, try the link below. But keep it on the down low!

Secret Access to Better Half of Mornington Pier
:icon_lolz:

[tr3los]

awesome!

[Rogue_Hunter]

$40,000 to build an all-abilities fishing platform on the northern breakwater at St. Helens Boat Harbour at Geelong;

:a_goodjob: