Fishcare has been operating in Victoria since 1995 and has since grown to cover 6 regions across the state.
We a community operated not-for-profit with the motto ‘We Fish, We Care’. Our work promotes responsible fishing practices and increased stewardship of Victoria’s aquatic environments and is funded through the Recreational Fishing Licence trust fund.
Fishcare is operated by enthusiastic volunteers with regional groups across Victoria, from Warrnambool in the west, to Ballarat and as far east as Mallacoota. Fishing is one of the most popular recreational pursuits in the country. Our aim is to promote responsible approaches to fishing and to share in the care and management of our precious aquatic environments.
Mission Statement
Shaping the sustainable future of recreational fishing in Victoria through education, hands-on experiences, communication and community participation.
Objectives
The objectives of Fishcare Victoria are to:
encourage recreational fishers to adopt sustainable behaviours and attitudes that conserve and protect fish stocks and increase community stewardship;
inform the community about threats affecting the sustainability of Victorians fish stocks, integrity of fish habitats and aquatic ecosystems;
participate in activities that support sustainable recreational fishing practices and opportunities, improved environmental outcomes and collection of research data;
promote sustainable recreational fishing as a socially beneficial and inclusive activity;
collaborate with partner organisations that support Fishcare Victoria’s mission and objectives;
operate as a not for profit organisation and to provide volunteering opportunities for its members; and
maintain a public fund to be called Fishcare Victoria Public Fund for the specific purpose of supporting the environmental objectives/purposes of Fishcare Victoria.
The Fishcare Community
We work closely with the VIctorian Fisheries Authority and other organisations such as Department of Sustainability and Environment, Catchment Management Authorities, Landcare, Coastcare, local government, VR Fish and associated angling clubs, as well as many schools and disability support services.
Fishcare partners with local communities to conduct family-friendly educational experiences and activities. These are just some of the fun and educational activities Fishcare groups are involved in:
Learn-to-fish clinics and festivals
School holiday programs
Primary school programs
‘Catch-a-Carp’ events
Catch and release competitions
Community forums and workshops
Volunteer training and field trips
Work with other ‘care’ groups on local environmental projects
Our Staff
We have a small team of dedicated staff who work across the state to support our regional groups and coordinate operations. Our staff team work closely with our volunteers to deliver our current programs and with our Committee of Management to explore new funding and project opportunities and to continually improve our services and program delivery.
Executive Officer – Sarah Van Stokrom
Sarah has a Bachelor in Park Management and an Hons. in Environmental Science. Sarah brings over 14 years of experience in environmental management and community engagement and has held previous positions with Parks Victoria, Bass Coast Shire, City of Casey and Landcare. Sarah has a diverse skill set including business management, leadership, sustainability and well developed communication, grant writing, governance and project management skills. Sarah is an inclusive leader and has a great understanding of the value of transparency and the community of practice approach and it’s role in developing strong collaborative teams and partnerships. Sarah is a keen recreational fisher and looks forward to bringing to life new projects to engage and retain Fishcare volunteers.
Jenny has been with Fishcare for over eight years and enjoys assisting children and parents gain the required knowledge and skills needed to fish with a sustainable mindset learned through the Fishcare Program. Jenny brings extensive knowledge of native and pest aquatic species and is passionate about people taking ownership for the different aquatic environments in which we share. Jenny enjoys sharing her knowledge with everyone, especially with the Fishcare East Gippsland Volunteers in all aspects of training and support and understands the importance of community engagement to strengthen partnerships to undertake and deliver NRM projects. Jenny enjoys all saltwater and freshwater environments, whether fishing, diving, paddling or surfing and is always looking out for any human impacts that may be affecting these aquatic systems.
Port Phillip & Westernport, All Ability Facilitator – Elysia Gustafson
Elysia is a Marine Biologist with a Master’s in teaching who began her career in the Aquaculture Industry in Port Fairy before moving to Port Douglas to work on the Great Barrier Reef where she conducted surveys in association with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Eye on the Reef to better understand Reef Health and resilience in response to Climate change and developing effective techniques to manage the Crown of Thorns Sea Star. Elysia is passionate about building healthy ecosystems to support Fisheries and their marine and freshwater environments through environmental sustainability education and community engagement for all abilities. When out fishing she prefers the end of a pier or boat targeting Australian Salmon, Tailor and Flathead for Catch and Release but does enjoy fresh Calamari and Snapper!
Mitchell McMaster, our Geelong & Bellarine Facilitator has a background in Environmental Science majoring in Marine Biology, which he studied at Deakin University in Warrnambool. This degree allowed him to foster and focus his passion for promoting and improving sustainable fishing practices while aiming to maintain and develop freshwater and estuarine management plans. In order to gain knowledge and experience, Mitchell has dedicated significant time to numerous non for profit organisations around Victoria including Estuary Watch, Coast Care Landcare, Science in Schools and of course…. Fishcare Victoria. He has been a part of our organisation for nearly five years and in such time has helped complete the Litter Dispersal project on the Hopkins and Merri River in and around Warrnambool, has acted as the secretary for the South-West group, participated and coordinated numerous events across the entire state and attended the Vic Fish Kids program running the the knot tying tent.
Mitch looks forward to the challenges that the new position throws at him while also improving the Geelong Bellarine Group by recruiting volunteers and developing rapport with stakeholders and community groups to achieve positive on ground outcomes.
