The Parties Speak
In the lead up to the 2026 Victorian election, VRFish launched our 2026 State Election Priorities. We’ve been engaging with various Victorian political parties and advocating how they can make fishing better for Victoria’s one-million recreational fishers.
VRFish is an apolitical, non-government organisation and the purpose of the checklist below is to ensure the recreational fishing related policies of Victorian political parties are clear to Victoria’s recreational fishers, and so that you can make your own judgement and analysis.
The table below has been created to provide a snapshot of the commitments the various political parties are making relevant to recreational fishers and will have an impact on the recreational fishing sector.
Checklist of Victorian Political Party Commitments
 |   |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Shooters, Farmers, Fishers | One Nation | Greens |
| A $200,000 fishing feasibility plans for Yan Yean Reservoir - first step to allow fishing at the reservoir. | Continue the Better Boating Fund (boat licences and registration fees are reinvested into boating sector). | Improve access to smaller lakes, dams and waterbodies for fishing. | Reinstate 35 fisheries roles. | |
| Increase the size of the Jawbone Marine Sanctuary at WIlliamstown Beach to include The Crystal through amending the National Parks (Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries) Act 2022. | Maintain status quo in Victoria's marine parks - no new or expanded marine parks. | Introduce bow hunting for carp in Victoria. | Support the expansion of aquaculture, including Port Phillip mussel farms, to grow local production. | |
| 5 year funding agreement for VRFish, the peak body for Victoria's recreational fishing. | Support VRFish, the peak body for Victoria's recreational fishing. | |||
| Support Fish Stocking and Hatchery Production. | ||||
| Support recreational fishing grants. | ||||
| Continued support for boat shows. |
Disclaimer
This information has been compiled in good faith. This information has been received directly from the political party and/or obtained from public announcements. We strongly recommend this information is read in conjunction with detailed responses and the complete set of all policies obtained directly from political parties. This information is not intended to be a how to vote guide. Any errors or discrepancies can be reported to [email protected]
