WATER issues on the Murray Darling Basin have led to the creation of a Murray Darling Basin Recreational Fishing Council.
The Council represents more than 991,000 anglers with membership including the VRFish, the Capital Region Fishing Alliance, Native Fish Australia, Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland, NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers Inc, South West Anglers Association Inc. (NSW), Field and Game Federation of Australia, South Australian Recreational Fishing Advisory Council, Australian Fishing Trade Association and Recfish Australia.
The angler alliance is calling for better conditions for native fish in the basin.
A study released by the council confirms recreational fishing as one of the biggest contributors to regional economies.
"For the first time, this research highlights the significance of recreational fishing to regional communities in the Basin," Murray-Darling Basin Council chairman Christopher Collins said.
"On average, recreational anglers go fishing in the Basin 12 times a year, individually spending around $262 each trip.
"With about 430,000 anglers in the Basin, recreational anglers spend around $1.3 billion each year when fishing in the Murray-Darling Basin."
Mr Collins said the study found recreational fishing in the Basin contributed about $403 million to Gross Domestic Product, and employed 10,950 people.
"These findings remind us 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.
"It is vital the needs of our native fish communities are met in the draft Basin Plan."
Mr Collins said the message from this research was simple: "Healthy rivers mean more fish; more fish means more anglers spending money in the Basin, and that is a key ingredient for healthy regional communities."
National recreational fishing peak body Recfish Australia chairman Russell Conway said: "We may not see eye to eye on some issues, but we are a united voice in calling for healthier waterways and fish communities in the Basin.
"That means more healthier habitat, enhanced fish passage, and obviously, water. It's important to remember that it's not just about volume too; water needs to be high quality, and flows need to be delivered at the right time and in the right way to optimise benefits for fish."
