Tracking trout fishery performance

Project 5. How can we reliably track changes in the angling performance of our trout fisheries?

There are many angling clubs that record their catches with great diligence. If this information can be cost effectively captured for use in fisheries management, it may help The Victorian Fisheries Authority measure how each trout fishery is performing.

Action: Establish a cost effective trout fisher feedback program e.g. angling club data to include catch, effort and reporting.

• How will this help?: A lack of standardised measures of fishery performance currently hampers fisheries managers' ability to gauge the performance of  recreational fisheries in Victoria. Rather than relying on individual reports from anglers on their perceptions of the fishery, it would be more useful to garner a broader indication of performance. Anglers will benefit from this by understanding how other anglers are finding a fishery and by providing metrics on their performance compared with other anglers, groups and fisheries. Importantly, this will provide a mechanism to robustly measure changes in the performance of the fishery over time and following interventions.