Have your say on netting of Gippsland’s river mouths

MORE and more recreational fishers are getting involved in taking responsibility for their sport, from understanding rules and regulations to following best practices and taking responsibility for their environment around them.

This is apparent by the amount of issues that recreational fishers are now involving themselves in how they have stood up for and against issues that threaten their sport to obtain outcomes on issues that are less detrimental to their sport and to the environment they are active in.

All recreational fishers now recognise the importance of “having their say”

Recreational fishers are no longer just interested in their patch of river or ocean but they are interested as a whole in what is happening around them and how that is affecting recreational fishing.

This is apparent by the attention being given to recreational fishing by those in power and the recognition that is being paid by those now in government and in opposition.

Here is another opportunity – Fisheries Victoria is now consulting stakeholders about how best to deliver the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million commitment to ban commercial netting at river mouths in the Gippsland Lakes.

Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford said commercial and recreational fishing both had a long history in Gippsland and contribute much to the social and economic fabric of the region.

However, commercial netting at the mouths of rivers flowing into the Gippsland Lakes has been a contentious issue for many years and is one the state government says it is committed to resolving.

The state government wants to bring an end to commercial net fishing in river mouths of the Gippsland Lakes, but has no plans for a buyout of commercial fishing licences in the Gippsland Lakes as part of this process.

Public consultation will be led by Craig Ingram, co-ordinator of the Target One Million plan.

Mr Ingram will report to government by August 26 and make recommendations on the best way forward to deliver this election commitment.

“Recreational fishing is a healthy pastime for the whole family that gets people active and spending time together in the great outdoors,” Ms Pulford said.

“The Andrews Labor Government is committed to getting more people fishing more often, which is why we have invested in Target One Million to increase angler numbers to one million by 2020.

“Recreational fishing isn’t just a great social an activity, it’s contributing more than $2.3 billion to economy and we aim to boost that figure even higher.”

economic driver of Victoria Submissions can be sent via email to craig. [email protected] by April 15.