More than one million Victorians go fishing.
Please find below the Australian Fishing Trade Association’s (AFTA) 2026 Victorian Election Manifesto.
AFTA has written to all political leaders, parties and candidates seeking their position on the twelve commitments contained within the manifesto.
As the national peak body representing Australia’s recreational fishing trade, AFTA has provided the manifesto to every party and candidate on identical terms. It endorses no political party and criticises no government. The document acknowledges Victoria’s strong record in supporting recreational fishing and seeks commitments from the next Parliament to both build upon and protect those achievements.
Four Funded Commitments – $25.2 Million Over the Parliamentary Term
- $10.0 million – Stage 1 of a Victorian Marine and Estuarine Hatchery.
- $5.0 million – Production reliability upgrades at the Snobs Creek Trout Hatchery.
- $9.3 million – A statewide schools fishing education program, including renewal of the Junior Anglers Program.
- $0.9 million – Development of a formal Fishing and Aquatic Studies elective for Years 10 to 12.
Importantly, $10.2 million of this funding is genuinely additional to the VRFish platform. Shared initiatives have been counted only once and are clearly identified as such. The remaining eight commitments focus on maintaining and strengthening existing programs, services and policy settings, requiring policy commitment rather than additional expenditure.
Two Matters of Particular Importance
The first is ensuring that fisheries science, fish stocking, hatchery operations, education programs, licensing functions and compliance capability transfer intact to Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria.
The second is compliance and enforcement. According to the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s published figures, recreational fishing inspections declined from 43,877 in 2023-24 to 14,625 in 2025-26, while reports to 13FISH rose to a five-year high. The manifesto proposes a practical solution through the appointment of officers as both Fisheries Officers and Game Wardens, as already permitted under existing legislation. This would enable a single workforce to support both fisheries and game management compliance programs across complementary seasonal calendars, without requiring additional headcount.
AFTA will publish all responses in full and without editorial comment. Following publication, AFTA will provide members with an objective and impartial summary of each party’s position against the twelve commitments, allowing voters and stakeholders to make their own informed assessment ahead of polling day.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Baldwin
Chair
Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA)