Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan
The Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan provides recreational anglers, government agencies and other stakeholders with clear guidance on fisheries management issues in the Port Phillip and Western Port region for at least the next five years.
The area covered by the Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan aligns with the region administered by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority.
Waters include the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Werribee rivers, Sugarloaf Reservoir, Family Fishing Lakes such as Rowville, Emerald, Karkarook, and Lillydale Lake which is managed as a Premier Lake.
The Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan outlines twelve strategies which include encouraging responsible fishing behaviour, stocking fish, assessing the status of the inland fishery and improving access to fishing areas.
The management plan also describes:
- The Port Phillip and Western Port fishery
- The key recreational fishing species found there
- Current management arrangements
- Relevant government policies
- The goals, objectives, strategies and actions for managing fishing activities in the region.
It was developed in accordance with Part 3 of the Fisheries Act 1995 and with assistance from a steering committee which had an independent chair and representatives from VRFish, the Fisheries Co-Management Council, Melbourne Water, Southern Rural Water, the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, the Victorian National Parks Association, the Department of Environment and Sustainability, Boon Wurrung Foundation Limited and the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council Inc.
All public submissions received through the planning process were considered by the management plan Steering Committee, the Executive Director The Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Minister for Agriculture.
Implementation of the Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan will proceed with the assistance of a reference group, which will be established shortly.
A copy of the Port Phillip and Western Port Fishery Management Plan is available below or from the department Customer Service Centre on 136 186.