Our plan for better fishing for all Victorians

Recreational fishers and boaters will benefit from an enhanced fish stocking program and better access to Victorian fisheries, under an elected Liberal Nationals Government.

If elected, we’ll implement our Nine Point Plan for Better Fishing Across Victoria, which includes:

Establishing the new Blue Infrastructure Fund, which will return all revenue from boating fees back into better boat ramps, car parks and other boating infrastructure,

1.     Free parking at boat ramps and no launching fees,
2.     A $30 million Fish Habitat Restoration Fund to restore native fisheries throughout Victoria,
3.     Developing a Bay Strategy 2040 to guide the recreational, environmental, commercial and tourism use and regulation of Port Phillip Bay,
4.     Working with key recreational fishing stakeholders to developing a Recreational Fishing Tourism Strategy for Victoria,
5.     Securing a sustainable future for the Gippsland Lakes with a voluntary buyback on commercial fishing licences and investigating restoration works to boost fish stocks,
6.     A new $7 million fish hatchery at Shepparton to boost native fish stocks,
7.     Exploring opportunities to improve access to existing fisheries, and new and emerging fisheries, and;
8.     Ensuring fishing licence fee revenue is being used for maximum benefit to improve recreational fishing.

We’ll make it a priority to work with the recreational fishing sector to develop plans for the future, to make sure our fisheries are as healthy as possible, now and into the future.

The $30 million Fish Habitat Restoration Fund will invest in marine, estuarine and freshwater habitat restoration throughout Victoria.

Recreational fishing and boating already makes a huge contribution to our state, particularly communities in Regional Victoria.

By boosting native fish breeding in Victoria with a new hatchery in the Shepparton region, we can decrease our reliance on interstate supplies, stocking more native fish and getting more people fishing.

When last in government, the Liberal Nationals invested an additional $16 million into recreational fishing projects, in addition to funds that were returned via the Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) Trust.

With this extra investment, the native fish breeding and stocking programs expanded and have continued to grow.

With our Nine Point Plan a Liberal Nationals Government will deliver better fishing across all of Victoria’s waterways.

Comment attributable to Leader of the Liberal Party Matthew Guy

Fishing is a favourite pastime for hundreds of thousands of Victorians and their families and we want to make it even better.

We’ve listened to boating and fishing groups with our commitment to return all boating fees back into better infrastructure and to establish a new fish hatchery in the Shepparton region.

Only a Liberal Nationals Government will work with our recreational fishing sector to boost native fish breeding and put more native fish into waterways around Victoria.

Comment attributable to Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh

Recreational fishing provides so much both socially and economically for our communities, which is why we’re committed to making the sector even better.

If we’re elected, we look forward to working with anglers and groups like VR Fish and Future Fish to get more fish stocked and more people fishing, including with a new fish hatchery at Shepparton.

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