ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Fish Attached With $10,000 Gold Tags To Attract Tourists To Bushfire Affected Areas

Fish Attached With $10,000 Gold Tags To Attract Tourists To Bushfire Affected Areas

Anglers get your rods

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The Victorian government in Australia has come up with an inventive solution to get tourists visiting bushfire affected areas across the state.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority has decided to release 1,000 fish attached with prize-winning tags into places like East Gippsland and the state's north east, which have been ravaged by bushfires.

Victorian Fisheries Authority

Each of these fish will have a golden tag attached to it that will earn the lucky angler up to $10,000.

The first 10 of these golden fish handed in will bring that very lucrative sum, however the other 990 will get a decent $2,000

Fishing and Boating Minister Jaala Pulford told radio station 3AW: "These communities are doing it tough so we want to get almost a million anglers in Victoria to pack the bag, pack the esky, but also pack the rod and reel."

The competition hasn't started yet, however once the affected areas are deemed safe, the fish will be released.

Victorian Fisheries Authority

The VFA said on its website: "No registration is required. The prizes are eligible for any recreational fisher with a Victorian fishing licence (unless they are exempt) who catches a tagged fish by legal methods. The $10,000 prize will be limited to one per individual.

"Victorian Fisheries Authority staff members and contractors, including family members, are excluded from claiming the prizes."

If you come across one of these bad boys, you'll have to take a picture of it with the tag attached, a secondary image showing the tag's number, record the length of the fish, then cut off your 'golden ticket' and keep it in a safe spot.

Once all that is done, you can call the VFA and let them know you've caught a lucky fish.

PA

You're well within your rights to release the fish back into the water if you just fancy getting the golden tag.

It's hoped the influx of anglers and their friends and family will lead to a much needed tourism boost to areas which have been absolutely ravaged by fires.

This is in addition to a $2 million advertising blitz being undertaken by the Victorian government to lure people to parts of the state that have been hit hard.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula told the Herald Sun: "The campaign, which includes the slogan 'A short stay goes a long way', is all about encouraging Victorians to visit regional towns doing it tough."

The advertising will be spread across newspapers, TV and social media, in the hopes of reaching as many people as possible.

Featured Image Credit: Victorian Fisheries Authority

Topics: News, Bushfires, Australia