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 2018/19 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program – Large Grants Program, $648,791 will be allocated to the following 10 projects.

• $127,200 over two years for a ‘All Ability Clinics - Fishing is for EVERYONE!’ program. Fishcare Victoria will develop and trial a structured program to deliver 100 ‘fishing for all abilities clinics’ in the Kingston, Bayside, Hobsons Bay and Port Phillip Council areas.
• $110,000 over one year to create new lakes at Rainbow and Yaapeet. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water will provide a water connection to the proposed Rainbow and Yaapeet Lakes which will in turn be stocked with native species to develop new recreational fishing opportunities for locals and visitors in the Wimmera Mallee Region.
• $110,000 over one year for a Gippsland Lakes Habitat Restoration project. The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority will install woody habitat in the Gippsland Lakes which will benefit key species such as black bream, estuary perch and Australian bass.
• $68,631 over one year to increase fish habitat in the Little Murray River - Phase Two. The North Central Catchment Management Authority will install additional woody habitat and snag structures to improve the recreational fishery for native fish in the Little Murray River.
• $56,500 over one year for a Creating Sustainable Anglers & Empowering Angling Clubs program. Fishcare Victoria will deliver 200 fishing workshops through schools and community events and create a resource for angling clubs to help then run community fishing days.
• $52,877 over one year for fishing facility enhancements at Ferntree Gully Quarry Recreation Reserve. The Knox City Council will improve access for recreational fishers and install fishing platforms and a boardwalk at this exciting new urban fishery.
• $50,000 over one year for improvements to the Reeve Landing Jetty at Lakes Entrance. The Gippsland Ports Committee of Management will construct a 6m x 4m extension to the existing Reeve Landing Jetty to increase access for local and visiting recreational fishers.
• $37,000 over one year for recreational fish stocking sourced from fish translocated from Goulburn Murray Water irrigation channels. The Victorian Fisheries Authority will harvest large on-grown Murray cod from irrigation channels and create new fishing opportunities by stocking them into urban lakes and selected local waters.
• $20,370 for a Rapid Sand Filtration System to improve fish survival rates. The Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society will install a Rapid Sand Filtration System. The increased filtration will remove suspended solids from the water and this will result in an increase in fish survival rates.
• $16,213 over one year for a refurbishment of the Rippleside Jetty in Geelong. The Geelong City Council will upgrade this popular land-based spot in Corio Bay to make it safer and more accessible for recreational fishers.

Commissioning grants program

The following two projects will be funded through the 2018/19 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program - Commissioning Grants Program.

Informing sustainable management of Victoria’s wild catch 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 $166,000. This will provide for 148 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 $300,000. 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
• 20,000 Murray cod length/weight rulers
• 15,000 'Know your limits' pocket cards
• 15,000 Murray spiny and general freshwater crayfish measures
• 13,000 rock lobster measures
• 10,000 abalone measures in three different languages
• 250 metal fish length rulers for piers and other land based fishing locations.

Other RFL trust account expenditure

During 2018/19, RFL revenue will also fund:

• Increased fish stocking into lakes and rivers;
• The deployment of thirteen Fisheries Officers to boost enforcement and education;
• Initiatives and programs under the Target One Million plan;
• VRFish, to provide advice to the Victorian Government about the broad range of recreational fishers’ views on the management of the State’s fisheries resources;
• The Victorian Fishcare program, which delivers responsible fishing education and events to the community;
• Projects approved through previous rounds of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program for access and facilities, education, information and training, recreational fisheries research and fish habitat improvement.
• Recreational Fishing Licence commissions paid to sellers; and
• The costs incurred in the administration of the Recreational Fishing Licence, Grants Program and the Recreational Fishing Grants Working Group.

2018-19 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account Report

A report is tabled in Parliament each year concerning all RFL Trust Account revenue and expenditure. The 2018-19 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account Report is available for revenue spent in that and previous years.

• 2018-19 RFL Trust Account Report (PDF - 4.0 MB)
• 2018-19 RFL Trust Account Report (WORD - 13.9 MB)