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Thursday 16th 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:
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/about-fish ... ts-program


Media contact: Deborah Cole 0419 962 644 deborah.cole@minstaff.vic.gov.au


(See attached file: 130516 Walsh - Recreational fishing nets a $1.6
million boost.pdf)

Recreational fishing $1.6 mil boost PDF