July 16, 2019
Every year, all revenue from Victorian’s recreational fishing licence fees is reinvested to projects that will make fishing better in Victoria.
Minister for Fishing and Boating, Jaala Pulford, announced the successful projects through the 2018/2019 round of recreational fishing large grants program. The latest round of projects will see $648,791.64 allocated to ten exciting projects.
Fishcare Victoria were the recipient of two large grants to the value of $183,700. Fishcare will deliver an ‘All Ability Fishing’ program and build on their successful ‘Creating Sustainable Anglers’ project. Over two years, Fishcare will develop and trial a program to deliver 100 ‘fishing for all abilities clinics.’ Over one year, Fishcare will deliver 200 fishing workshops through schools and community events and also create a resource for angling clubs to run their own events through their ‘Creating Sustainable Anglers & Empowering Angling Clubs’ program.
The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) will install woody habitat in the Gippsland Lakes which will have a positive impact on key fish species such as black bream, estuary perch and Australian bass.
The Wimmera Mallee region will see two new lakes created at Rainbow and Yaapeet. Grampian Wimmera Mallee Water will provide a water connection to the proposed lakes which will be stocked with native fish to provide exciting new fishing opportunities for recreational fishers.
Other projects included increasing fish habitat at Little Murray River, improving access at Ferntree Gully Quarry and Reeve Landing Jetty in Lakes Entrance, refurbishing Rippleside Jetty in Geelong, stocking translocated fish from Goulburn Murray Water irrigation channels and a filtration system in Ballarat to improve fish survival rates.
For further details on the successful projects visit Victorian Fisheries Authority’s website here: www.vfa.vic.gov.au/feesatwork2019
The Australian Trout Foundation were also onsite at the announcement to show off all the great work they are doing to support sustainable wild trout fisheries with the use of incubator boxes.
