Recreational fishing vital to regional economies

The newly established Murray-Darling Basin Recreational Fishing Council has released a study identifying recreational fishing as one of the biggest contributors to regional economies in the Murray-Darling Basin.

The study found that, on average, recreational fishers go fishing in the Basin 12 times per year, individually spending around $262 each trip. With approximately 430,000 fishers in the Basin, recreational fishers spend around $1.3 billion each year when fishing in the Murray-Darling Basin. The study also found that recreational fishing in the Basin contributes approximately $403 million to Gross Domestic Product, and employs around 10,950 people.

Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Recreational Fishing Council, Christopher

Collins, said this is the first time such research has highlighted the significance of recreational fishing to regional communities in the Basin.

“These findings remind us that there’s more to regional communities in the Murray-Darling Basin than irrigation. These results highlight that healthy fish and fish habitats are critical to the economic viability of our regional communities,” Mr Collins said.

The study was undertaken in the lead-up to the release of the draft Basin Plan by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, in an effort to ensure the wellbeing of local fish stocks were considered in the draft.

“It is vital that the needs of our native fish communities are met in the draft Basin Plan,” Mr Collins said, who asserts that the health of local fish populations and the health of local economies are interwoven.

Visit www.mdba.gov.au for more info.