The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) is now recruiting an intake of seven Fisheries Officers based in northern Victoria and around Melbourne to protect Victoria's world-class fisheries.
The positions are being made available in several locations with three regionally-based roles - in Bendigo, Tatura and Swan Hill - open to female applicants and a further four positions in Melbourne or Phillip Island open to people from Vietnamese or Chinese backgrounds.
VFA Chief Executive Officer Travis Dowling said Fisheries Officer roles suit people with a passion for the environment, integrity and provide a challenging career protecting our fisheries for future generations.
"Fishing attracts people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures and we want to better reflect that within our ranks," Mr Dowling said.
"To get more women Fisheries Officers into regional Victoria, the Bendigo, Tatura and Swan Hill roles will be open to female applicants. At present 21 per cent of officers are women and one of 12 in our northern region, which is a number we want to continue to build on.
"We also know many people from our state's vibrant multicultural community love their fishing, so to strengthen our ties with Vietnamese and Chinese fishers in and around Melbourne four positions are open to applicants with these cultural backgrounds."
Successful applicants will undergo an initial 10-week residential training course before being posted to one of the three northern locations or the VFA's Altona, Braeside, Mornington or Cowes stations.
Mr Dowling said day-to-day duties as a Fisheries Officer vary enormously and range from educating new fishers about the basics, to enforcing recreational and commercial fishing rules, and apprehending people involved in illegal fishing activity.
"They also work with other natural resource management, maritime safety and emergency management agencies to protect our aquatic environments and keep people safe," he said.
"No two days are the same, there are a variety of development opportunities on offer and you get to spend plenty of time in the great outdoors meeting people from all walks of life."
