Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body

What Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body does

Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body, trading as VRFish, is a non-profit statutory peak body founded in 1994 and headquartered in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It represents the interests of more than one million recreational fishers in Victoria across individual members, affiliated fishing clubs, and associations, acting as the unified advocacy voice between grassroots anglers and government agencies including the Victorian Fisheries Authority, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and Better Boating Victoria.

VRFish's core offering is advocacy and member services rather than technology products. Its service portfolio spans policy submissions and position statements (Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, offshore wind farms, Victorian Waterway Management Strategy), educational campaigns (Care for Cod, Snapper Stewards, Shark Mates, Tuna Champions, Trout in Hot Water), citizen science programs (Angler Riparian Partnerships, Reccys Restoring The Bay, Redmap, Striped Trumpeter monitoring), and member-access tools including Boat Ramp Cams, Fish Aggregation Devices, the 13FISH illegal fishing reporting service, and a fish species information portal covering 20+ species. Community programs include Women in Recreational Fishing, FishAbility (disability access), school holiday clinics with Fishcare Victoria, and First Nations engagement via Dungula Maniga Banga.

The revenue model is membership-based with two individual tiers (Free Individual for basic representation, Premium Individual for active participation) plus affiliation fees from fishing clubs and associations, supplemented by likely government grant funding and project-specific partnerships. Distribution is primarily through the website (vrfish.com.au), a weekly 'Fishing Lines News' newsletter to 50,000+ subscribers, social channels (Instagram, Twitter), and an affiliated fishing club network across Victoria. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Chair Rob Loats, Deputy Chair Scott Jefferis (elected March 2026), and operated by Executive Officer Anthony McGrath, with a small professional staff (1-10 employees) supported by an extensive volunteer base.

Name

Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body

Legal name

VRFish (Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body)

Website

https://vrfish.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VRFish is Victoria's statutory non-profit peak body representing more than one million recreational fishers, delivering advocacy, policy submissions, education campaigns, citizen science programs, and member services through a network of affiliated clubs and a 50,000+ subscriber newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Fishing Advocacy

NAICS

Fishing (1141)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing & Angling Charters / Guides (THAAALAD)

Keywords

• Recreational fishing advocacy
• Fishing club support
• Fisheries policy advocacy
• Citizen science programs
• Angling education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Geelong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: VRFish generates revenue through individual membership fees (Free Individual and Premium Individual tiers) and affiliation fees from fishing clubs and associations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VRFish is a non-profit peak body that advocates for recreational fishing interests in Victoria through membership representation, policy submissions, and government engagement. It delivers educational campaigns, citizen science programs, fishing access services (boat ramp cameras, fish aggregation devices), and direct support to affiliated fishing clubs and individual recreational fishers. Its mission centres on protecting fishing access, habitat, water quality, and promoting best-practice angling across the state.

Product overview

VRFish is Victoria's peak body for recreational fishing, operating as a membership-based advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. The organization provides membership services (Free Individual and Premium Individual tiers), educational campaigns (Care for Cod, Snapper Stewards, Trout in Hot Water, etc.), citizen science programs (Angler Riparian Partnerships, Redmap, Reccys Restoring The Bay), fishing access services (Boat Ramp Cams, Family Fishing Lakes, Fish Aggregation Devices), community programs (FishAbility for disability access, Women In Recreational Fishing network), compliance reporting tools (13FISH), and comprehensive fish species information resources. The portfolio spans advocacy, education, research, community engagement, and fishing access improvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VRFish Membership Free Individual and Premium Individual membership tiers that give Victorian recreational fishers formal representation on issues affecting recreational fishing, with the Premium tier offering a more active role in shaping the peak body's direction.
• Boat Ramp Cams
• Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs)
• 13FISH Illegal Fishing Reporting
• Club Support Services
• Citizen Science Programs
• FishAbility Program
• Women In Recreational Fishing (WIRF)
• Fish Species Information Portal
• Education Campaigns

Quantifiable outcome

• Managed the introduction of the 'All Waters Licence' (Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence) and subsequent Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Fund - considered a world-leading initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRFish works closely with the Victorian Fisheries Authority on fish stocking programs, fisheries management, Care for Cod campaign, Murray cod surveys, and policy development. The VFA is the government body responsible for recreational fishing regulation and management in Victoria.
• Better Boating VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on boating infrastructure improvements, boat ramp upgrades, and the Recreational Boating Dredging and Access Program. Better Boating Victoria manages the $1-million Better Boating Fund for improving boating facilities.
• Goulburn-Murray WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Recreational Area Management Plans (RAMPs) for water storages. Goulburn-Murray Water is Australia's largest rural water corporation managing 23 water storages, 18 of which are determined recreational areas.
• Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRFish provides submissions to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review representing recreational fishing interests in the Basin. The MDBA manages water resources across five state and territory governments.
• Fishcare VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity not-for-profit organisation promoting responsible fishing practices. VRFish partners with Fishcare for school holiday fishing clinics and education programs.
• Native Fish AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRFish partnered with Native Fish Australia and VFA to develop the Care for Cod campaign promoting best practice handling of Murray cod.
• Dungula Maniga BangaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAboriginal fishing club (Yorta Yorta language for 'Murray River fishing and hunting') established to promote reconciliation through fishing. VRFish supports the club and incorporates Indigenous knowledge into fisheries management.
• Vopak (Victoria Energy Terminal)minorOthersVRFish has met with Vopak regarding the proposed Victoria Energy Terminal project in Port Phillip Bay to ensure recreational fishers are engaged and represented in the environmental assessment process.
• Red Tag Fly FishersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFly fishing club founded in 1932 committed to sharing the art and joy of fly fishing. Partner for IDAHOBIT events promoting inclusivity in recreational fishing.
• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRFish provides advice through the development of the Victorian Waterway Management Strategy to ensure recreational fisher views are represented. DEECA develops policies affecting fisheries and waterways.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Native Fish Australia: National non-profit focused on native freshwater fish conservation and rehabilitation. Comparable as a partner and advocacy organisation in the recreational/conservation fishing space, with overlapping stakeholders (e.g., Murray cod) and overlapping citizen-science work.
• Fishcare Victoria: Victorian community not-for-profit promoting responsible fishing practices and education. Comparable to VRFish as a community-based recreational fishing organisation in the same geography; partners with VRFish on school holiday clinics and education programs.

Direct peers

• AFANT (Amateur Fishermen's Association of the NT): Northern Territory's recreational fishing peak body. Direct peer of VRFish with a comparable membership and advocacy structure, representing NT recreational fishers.
• TARFish: Tasmania's peak recreational fishing body. Direct peer operating the same peak-body, membership-based advocacy model as VRFish, but focused on Tasmanian fishers.
• Sunfish QLD: Queensland's recreational fishing peak body. Direct peer of VRFish, running the same kind of state-level recreational fishing advocacy and representation.
• Recfishwest: Western Australia's peak body for recreational fishing. Direct peer: identical mandate, structure, and advocacy remit as VRFish, just operating in a different Australian state.
• Recfish SA: South Australia's recreational fishing peak body. Direct peer with the same membership and advocacy model as VRFish, representing South Australian recreational fishers.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF): National not-for-profit advocating for recreational fishing across Australia. Broader incumbent: operates one tier above state peak bodies like VRFish, influencing federal policy and national funding.

Others

• Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA): Statutory authority responsible for managing recreational and commercial fishing in Victoria. Adjacent enabling institution rather than a competitor; VRFish's core strategic partner on stocking, education, and fisheries management.

Regional players

• Murray-Darling Basin Authority: Federal agency managing water resources across the Murray-Darling Basin. Regional player with overlapping constituency: VRFish regularly submits to MDBA Basin Plan reviews representing recreational fishing interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VR_Fish
• Instagraminstagram.com/vrfish
• Facebookfacebook.com/VRFish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vrfish

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body