Outrage at proposed fishing ban

The state’s peak recreational fishing body has expressed its anger at proposed regulations which could see children and families banned from recreational fishing in metropolitan lakes and rivers.

VRFish Chair Rob Loats said the group was outraged at the proposal, which “provide for bans to recreational fishing on specified metropolitan and regional parklands such as Albert Park, Karkarook Park, Werribee River…amongst others”.

“Families fishing in metropolitan and regional lakes does not increase the risk to public safety nor environment. Recreational fishing in the local lake is a safe and beneficial activity that creates treasured family memories,” Mr Loats said.

“Since 2015, recreational fishers have invested more than $2 million per year of recreational fishing licence fees into recreational fishing initiatives, including to boost family fishing in park lakes.

“This proposal is clearly an attack on recreational fishing and again shows how out of touch Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, is with local community values.”

Section 409 of the proposed ‘Crown Land (Reserves) (Metropolitan and Regional Parks) Regulations’ states that a land manager may set aside an area of a regional parks “as an area where attempting to take fish is prohibited”, with a penalty of 10 penalty units applying to anyone taking or attempting to take fish in that area.

Ten penalty units equates to $1,849.20 as of 1 July 2022.

VRFish is encouraging recreational fishers to email Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Fishing and Boating, Sonya Kilkenny, to let them know the community’s thoughts on the proposed regulations.

To view the consultation paper for the proposed regulations, visit www.engage.vic.gov.au/MRP_Regulations.