Applications have now closed for the VFA’s fish habitat improvement fund: $2.5 million in funding provided through the Victorian Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan, working with recreational fishers and partnering organisations to create better fish habitat across Victoria’s waterways.
Twenty-two projects have been funded right across Victoria, giving a huge boost to fish habitat across fresh, estuarine and marine ecosystems. These amazing projects include:
• Establishing shellfish reefs and kelp forests in Port Philip
• “Fish hotels” for juvenile bream in the Hopkins River,
• European carp removal for catfish near Mildura, and
• Installation of log-jams and boulders for Macquarie perch and trout habitat in Victoria’s high country.
Projects such as these will leave a huge legacy of continued improvement to some of our most valued recreational fisheries as well as iconic threatened fish like Macquarie perch. In some instances, like the shellfish reefs of Port Philip, these ecosystems are now “functionally extinct”, however through programs such as this and the efforts of passionate recreational fishers, we can pave the way for their return!
And remember, even though this fund is closed for now, if you’ve got any great ideas for habitat improvement in your favourite waterway, we’d love to hear about them!
The Recreational Fishing Licence program (“Your Licence Fees at Work!”) is ongoing, as is the work of our other partners in restoring fish habitat: Catchment Management Authorities, Landcare and more.