History

The Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body (VRFish) was established after implementing recommendations outlined by a Ministerial Committee ‘Recreational Fishing Peak Body Working Group’ in 1995.

It was established that there was a need for a single independent body to unite and represent the interests of all of Victoria’s recreational fishers. The Working Group determined that the peak body must be representative of fishers who engage in all forms of non-commercial fishing (except traditional aboriginal fishing). This includes sport fishing, recreational fishing, underwater fishing, subsistence fishing and bait gathering.

The Working Group defined the primary functions of the Peak Body to be:

To unite all sectors of the recreational fishing community into a single umbrella organisation for their common benefit;
To act as the recognised peak body representing the unified interests of the recreational fishers of Victoria;
To encourage and promote the development of all sectors of the Victorian recreational fishing community;
To promote recreational fishing to the public and to all levels of government as an important and necessary contributor to the physical and economic well being of the Victorian community;
To promote and provide services that may be beneficial to member bodies;
To provide an effective forum for the recreational fishing community and Government for the consideration of all matters affecting recreational fishing in Victoria; and
To nominate representatives to Victorian and national bodies involved with matters of concern to Victorian recreational fishers.