Recreational fishing in Victoria

The Victorian Government is proactive in encouraging all Victorians to fish, specifically focusing on the involvement of women, children, and people from diverse backgrounds. We educate fishers and the community about responsible fishing practices and promote stewardship of our precious aquatic and animal resources via our Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, Education and Engagement Unit and funding of Fishcare Victoria Inc.

Recreational fishing offers terrific opportunities for people of all ages, skills, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy a fun and healthy activity and build social connections. Our aboriginal heritage is also deeply linked to fishing, with thousands of years of indigenous fishing history in Victoria.

The VFA run a range of free community fishing festivals across the State, stock 10 million fish into Victoria’s waterways each year, including a range of threatened species, install fishing and boating infrastructure to improve access, install recreational fishing reefs and improve habitat and undertake important research into Victoria’s many different species of seafood.

For more information about the VFA, recreational fishing opportunities in Victoria and/or a potential future career in natural resource management for your students, please visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au.

Little Anglers Hub

The VFA has created the kid-friendly Little Anglers Hub website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au/littleanglerkit), written specifically for children with useful information, instructional videos about how to safely set up and use the kits, being safe around the water, as well as advice on where to go fishing in Victoria.

There is an electronic copy of the Kids Guide to fishing that was included in the kits available on this site, both in English and five other languages.

Key Safety Messages

Going fishing is awesome and so much fun! When it comes to fishing, it’s important to stay safe, especially around water!

Students can keep their fishing safe by:

going with a friend;
being careful with hooks and lures;
looking behind before casting;
handling fish carefully;
being conscious of the dangers associated with water;
protecting yourself against the elements (sunscreen, drinking water);
letting someone know before you go; and
washing your hands after handling lead sinkers, especially before eating or drinking.

The link below is to a short safety video that is posted on the Little Anglers hub website, reinforcing the above safety messages to students.

https://youtu.be/drPLpKXpC3w

Please note that fishing equipment is not for human consumption. If swallowed, hooks can cause serious harm and lead sinkers can be toxic. Young children and those with some disabilities including pica disorder are especially vulnerable and should be supervised whilst fishing. If a child does swallow a hook or lead sinker, seek medical assistance immediately - don’t wait for it to pass.

If you would like any additional information about this exciting commitment, please visit the Victorian Fishing Authority’s Little Angler Kits FAQs for parents, located on the VFA’s website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au).

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