Delivering for our commercial fisheries and aquaculture industries

Victoria's commercial fishers and aquaculture businesses work hard to supply domestic and international markets with an extensive variety of the world’s finest fisheries products including abalone, rock lobster, King George whiting and snapper.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) supports these businesses and, together with the broader seafood industry, work hard to ensure Victoria’s fisheries and aquaculture businesses are viable, profitable and sustainable for future generations. Key deliverables of the VFA include:

Cutting red tape for fishing businesses

• Removed Primesafe licence requirements for live abalone and lobster
• Permitted the sale of small quantities of fresh abalone sold direct from the boat to the public
• Equipped abalone and rock lobster fishers with new technologies to trial
• Developing a modern electronic reporting system – e-catch
• Introduced licence fee concessions for small operators

Managing fisheries for the future

• Provided ongoing high-quality fisheries management services
• Developed management plans in partnership:
  • Rock lobster Management Plan &
  • Harvest Strategy
  • Eel Management Plan
  • Pipi Management Plan (Draft)
  • Abalone Management Plan & Harvest Strategy (Draft)
• Delivered Ocean Scallop fishery stock assessment
• Implemented Australia’s first recreational rock lobster tagging program

Creating new opportunities for seafood businesses

• Trialled small fisheries for urchins, periwinkles and octopus
• Promoting seafood tourism across the state
• Enabled transferability of wrasse licences
• Allowed for the commercial harvest of urchins to protect our seagrass from overgrazing
• Promoting Victorian fish to the community
• Sponsored events:
  • Hooked on Lakes Entrance, Hooked on Portland and Hooked on Bellarine
  • Apollo Bay Seafood Festival
  • San Remo Fishing Festival
  • Seafood Directions 2019
• Connected chefs with seafood producers

Growing aquaculture opportunities

• Developed Victoria’s aquaculture strategy
• Allocated new aquaculture leases in Port Phillip Bay
• Supported the increased production of barramundi, abalone, mussels and trout

Supporting our professional fishers

• Established protected species reporting arrangements and identification guide
• Finalised policy for understanding seismic surveys in Victorian waters