Your fees at work 2017-18

Every year the Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) Trust Account allocates the fees you pay for a fishing licence to projects that directly improve recreational fishing in Victoria.

Large Grants Program

Through the 2017/18 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program – Large Grants Program, $1,094,022 will be allocated to the following 16 projects.

Fisheries-related research ($259,642)

$24,132 over two years for a pilot study of striped trumpeter in western Victorian waters.

$34,480 over one year to establish a southern river blackfish spawning and recruitment monitoring network in the Gellibrand River catchment.

$56,030 over one year to employ citizen science in the monitoring of the recreational fishery for southern bluefin tuna in western Victoria.

$145,000 over two years to investigate the movement and habitat connectivity of shortfin mako sharks, and contributing to developing best practice techniques for catching and releasing sharks and rays.

Fisheries-related sustainability and habitat improvement ($481,101)

$13,761 over one year for developing a fish habitat hotspot in the Merri River, Warrnambool.

$24,500 over one year for fish habitat enhancement in the Rubicon River.

$44,840 over one year to install native fish habit in the lower Goulburn River.

$88,000 over one year for in-stream habitat in the Mitta Mitta River.

$110,000 over one year to install instream habitat in the Snowy River.

$200,000 over three years for a Maribyrnong River Native Fishery Revival program.

Fisheries-related education, information and training ($140,159)

$32,614 over two years to provide seniors from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds with a range of sustainable recreational fishing community education sessions.

$107,545 over one year to develop a Fishcare 'Get Hooked on Fishing' app.

Fisheries-related access and facilities ($213,120)

$31,520 over one year to install a fishing jetty at Lake Marma in Murtoa.

$54,700 over one year to install a floating pontoon at Nhill Lake in Nhill.

$55,500 over one year to install a floating pontoon on the Wimmera River in Jeparit.

$71,400 over one year to install a staircase and landing at Settlement Point in Corinella.

Commissioning grants program

The following two projects will be funded through the 2017/18 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program - Commissioning Grants Program.

Informing sustainable management and optimisation of Victoria's wild catch marine and estuarine recreational fisheries

The aim of this project is to collect creel survey data to assist with the expansion of the angler diary program and inform future fisheries management decisions.

The cost of the project is $140,000. This will provide for over 135 individual sampling days and will cover the Port Phillip, Western Port, Corner Inlet and Gippsland Lakes fisheries.

Communication and compliance products

The aim of this project is to continue the range of products that assist recreational fishers to understand and comply with fishing rules, without having to refer to legislative documents that are often difficult to comprehend.

The cost of this project is $219,055, whereby the Victorian Fisheries Authority will produce and distribute the following products to anglers:

200,000 copies of the 2018 Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide
200,000 fish length ruler stickers
15,000 'Know your limits' pocket cards
15,800 abalone, rock lobster and spiny crayfish measures in three different languages
10,000 Murray cod length/weight rulers
4,000 abalone pocket cards
250 metal fish length rulers.

Other RFL trust account expenditure

During 2016/17, RFL revenue will also fund:

recreational fisheries field services (state-wide)
the purchase and liberation of native and salmonid fish, made in consideration of, and to complement the planned annual stocking program conducted by Fisheries Victoria
recreational Fishing Grants Program - Small Grants Program
the administration of the RFL and the Grants Programs
VRFish
Fishcare Victoria Inc.
RFL sales commissions
RFL and RFGP-related community information.

2017/18 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account Report

A report is tabled in Parliament each year concerning all RFL Trust Account revenue and expenditure. The Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account 2017/18 Report is available for revenue spent in that and previous years.

2017/18 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account Report
(WORD - 5.5 MB)

2017/18 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account Report
(PDF - 2.7 MB)