Recreational fisheries are numerous and diverse, therefore their management can often occur in a data-poor environment.

Use of technology such as smart phones and apps provide new opportunities to establish innovative monitoring programs to improve fisheries management and recreational fishing.

Angler diary smart phone ‘apps’ are being trialled worldwide and show promise as a cost-effective and angler engaging method of collecting valuable recreational fishing catch and effort data.

Under the Victorian Government’s Target One Million Plan to improve recreational fishing, the Victorian Angler Diary Program is being expanded via creation of a smartphone app and the recruitment of avid anglers to record fishing data across the state’s most popular waters.

 Benefits of the app will include:

• More informed fisheries management decision making (through stocking, regulations, habitat rehabilitation, flows etc.).
• Improved angler fishing success through users recalling their fishing catch trends against time, technique and environmental variables.
• Engagement and networking opportunities through fishing metrics, angling competitions, and sharing fishing experiences with other users.
• Building of recreational fishery performance data time-series for the development of recreational fishery harvest strategies.

This presentation provides an overview of the Victorian Angler Diary Program App – GoFishVic - three months following release.