St Kilda Boat Sales - Your Licence Fees at work 2010-11

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

Large Grants Program

Through the 2010/11 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program (RFGP) - Large Grants Program, over $1 million will be allocated to 10 projects to improve recreational fishing in Victoria.

Type of water	Number of projects	RFL revenue funding
Inland	4	$268,520
Estuarine	2	$232,408
Marine	3	$498,296
State-wide/ all waters	1	$34,000
Total	10	$1,033,224

Commissioning Grants Program

Through the 2010/11 round of the Recreational Fishing Grants Program - Commissioning Grants Program, over $2.5 million will be allocated to four projects to improve recreational fishing in Victoria:

• $1,070,000 over four years to co-fund the deployment of eight recreational fishing reefs in estuaries in regional areas and the construction of one large scale off-shore reef;
• $779,500 over three years to co-fund the delivery of the Building Northern Native Fisheries project;
• $492,000 over two years to conduct the Angler Diary Program; and
• $207,500 to produce and distribute the following education products to recreational anglers:

 

1. 300,000 copies of the 2011/12 Recreational Fishing Guide;
2. 100,000 fish length ruler stickers;
3. 3,000 abalone, rock lobster & spiny crayfish measures;
4. 200 metal fish length rulers for installation at selected piers; and
5. 17,000 'Know your limits' pocket cards in four different languages.

Other RFL Trust Account Expenditure

During 2010-11, RFL revenue also funded:

• 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;
• RFL sales commissions; and
• RFL and RFGP-related community information.

Recreational Fishing Grant Program Projects 2010-11

A report is tabled in Parliament in October each year concerning all RFL Trust Account revenue and expenditure. The Recreational Fishing Grant Program Projects 2010-11 report is available for revenue spent in 2010/11 and for previous years.

The following is a summary of RFGP projects that will be funded from 2010/11 RFL revenue. Unless otherwise stated, these projects are listed under the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) region from which the project application emanated.

Northern ($133,920)

$133,920 to develop a reliable supply of catfish fingerlings and to establish new stocking based recreational fisheries in selected northern Victorian waters.

Port Phillip ($442,186)

$200,000 to construct two designated fishing platforms at Devilbend Reservoir, Mornington Peninsula.

$181,386 to better understand snapper movement and habitat use in Port Phillip Bay using acoustic tracking.

$60,800 to improve angler access to the Werribee River.

South West ($41,208)

$32,408 to construct a designated fishing platform at Yambuk Lake.

$8,800 to conduct a risk assessment of Lake Colac to determine if selected species can be stocked.

State wide ($415,910)

$186,000 to determine the spawning sources, movement patterns and nursery area replenishment of King George whiting.

$130,910 to conduct research into the future sustainability of the recreational fishery for shortfin makos in Victoria.

$65,000 to re-establish Victoria's recreational fishery for Chinook salmon.

 $34,000 to install a further 40 'Seal the loop' recreational fishing line disposal bins around Victoria.

For more information about applying for grants, please visit Recreational Fishing Grants Program.