Tagged bream lures tourists to Gippsland

Nathan with a Black Bream caught from Curries River © Carl Hyland

Recreational fishers have another reason to get back to Gippsland with the Andrews Labor Government tagging several black bream fish worth $5,000 each for the annual Twin Rivers Bream Classic.

The Classic will be held at the Gippsland Lakes and Tambo, Nicholson and Mitchell Rivers, on July 17 and 18, providing another boost to the local economy and having tagged bream added to the competition will provide a big incentive for more fishers to register for the event.

Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) will work with competition organisers to tag three black breams, with the first two caught during the weekend competition earning their captors a $5,000 prize.

The tagged bream will be within the new slot limit of 28-38cm which came into effect in the Gippsland Lakes and feeder rivers in April this year. The new slot limit provides added protection for larger bream in the system. Large black bream are more prolific breeders, produce more eggs and contribute more to future generations.

The Twin Rivers Bream Classic is in its twenty-fourth year and has also changed to a catch and release only competition without live weigh-ins this year, aligning with the VFA's Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan that aims to return the region to the fishing mecca it once was.

The new slot limit, improvements to fish habitat and removing commercial netting are all steps to improving recreational fishing in the Gippsland Lakes and boosting regional tourism for small businesses like pubs, bakeries, motels, and caravan parks.

If fishers can't make it to the Twin Rivers Bream Classic this year, they will still have plenty of chances to catch a winning fish because the Gippsland Lakes and tributaries remain home to 150 uncaught Golden Tag fish, including one worth $10,000.

QMinister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne: "There are now even more reasons to enjoy a winter weekend fishing the Gippsland Lakes and its stunning waterways like the Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson rivers."

"Fishing tourism is big business for coastal towns and there's never been a more important time to get Victorians exploring their own waterways with the chance to reel in a big prize."

Member for Eastern Victoria Jane Garrett: "The Gippsland Lakes is a fishing and boating paradise that deserves to be up there with Australia's best, which is why we're investing in the Fishery Plan and supporting grass roots fishing events like this one."