Fish Addict wrote: As has been said Western Australia has had a requirement for fishers to possess fishing licenses for some years now. Initially the majority had reservations with regards to the licensing system however I believe most would now be in favour of it as they have seen what it can achieve. The estimated population of WA in 2016 is approx. 2.7M and the funds raised from licenses is in the order of $6M. The yearly license fees are as follows: Recreational Fishing License $30 Rock Lobster $40 Abalone $40 Marron (like freshwater crayfish) $40 Freshwater Angling $40 Netting $40 The Recreational Fishing License does not apply to land based anglers and concessions apply for minors and senior citizens and in addition there are discounts where multiple licenses are purchased in one transaction. Licenses can be purchased online 24/7. Given the population of NZ is in the order of 4.7M and applying the same pricing structure as WA and assuming a similar fishers per head of population ratio as WA you could expect that approx. $10.4M per annum in fees alone could be raised in NZ. The following is a cut and paste from the WA Department of Fisheries website to provide you with some general information. "Supporting recreational fishing Each year about $19 million is spent on the management and improvement of our recreational fisheries. Recreational fishers contribute about $6m to this cost through licence fees, every cent of which is spent, by law, on recreational fishing. The State Government contributes the remaining $13 million to ensure the continuation of sustainable management of recreational fishing in Western Australia. Our approach to maintaining sustainable fisheries is underpinned by: • Research – including making assessments of fish stocks, researching key recreational fishing species and undertaking surveys of recreational fishing activity. • Management – including the identification and management of risks to recreational fishing and fish stocks, consultation with the recreational fishing community, developing new fishing laws and managing recreational fishing projects. • Compliance – educating recreational fishers and the community about sustainable fishing, enforcing recreational fishing rules and protecting fish stocks and fish habitats. The peak body representing recreational fishing interests in Western Australia, Recfishwest, advises and represents the interests of recreational fishers and provides advice to the Government. Increases in money from recreational fishing licences in recent years and additional government money have funded several new initiatives that have enhanced recreational fishing in Western Australia. New recreational fishing initiatives Additional fisheries mobile patrol units $2 million has been spent on thirteen additional Fisheries and Marine Officers and extra vehicles now operating around the State. The patrol units play an important educational and enforcement role in the long-term promotion of sustainable fishing practices and compliance with the rules. Artificial reef pilot study $520,000 of licence fees have been invested towards a $2.38 million project to trial the State’s first artificial reef. Lake Kununurra barramundi restocking project $700,000 is being invested over four years to restock Lake Kununurra with barramundi for the enhancement of recreational fishing. This project is aiming to establish a world-class trophy barramundi fishery – a major boon to the recreational community and tourism in the Kimberley. Western Australian Recreational Boat Fishing Survey The third recreational boat fishing survey began in the autumn of 2015. Information is being collected until August 2016 and this time the survey has been expanded to include shore-based fishing. In the previous two surveys - carried out over 12 months from March 2011 to February 2012 and May 2013 to April 2014 - approximately 3,000 fishers kept logbooks in each survey. Almost 7,500 boat fishers were surveyed around WA in the 2013/14 survey. The results from this project provide important data about who is fishing where and what they are catching. This is critical information for the effective management of the State's fisheries and aquatic ecosystem resources, helping to ensure there are fish for the future. Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund A proportion of Recreational Fishing Licence fees, ranging between $1 and $1.5m, is set aside each year to provide grant funding for initiatives, projects and research that directly benefit recreational fishing. Any academic institution, community, government, or non-government organisation can apply for these grants. Examples of some grants that have already been approved include: • Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to be deployed off the WA coast between Cervantes and Jurien Bay; • Contributions to the artificial reefs program; • New fish species identification signs around Esperance; • Preliminary work on a Recreational Fishing Catch and Effort Electronic Data Capture System; • Funding for about 250 tackle stores and other outlets to provide recreational fishing brochures, stickers and other important information to recreational fishers throughout WA. • Educational fishing trips for underprivileged children in the East Kimberley; and • Manufacture of ‘brag mats’ in Broome to educate fishers about size limits and improving fish release techniques. Further information about the initiatives fund, including how to apply for small grants and large grants is available from Recfishwest." What you need to remember is that you do not need to set up a new gov. dept or infrastructure. You already have a Dept of Fisheries complete with fisheries inspectors. The license funds supplement the existing structure and could pay for a few more inspectors as has been the case over here. |
Baru wrote: Fishing Licence Advantages • Provided the administrative body is independent of direct Government control will provide a legitimate body that represents the interests of recreational fisherman. Currently, there is no body that can legitimately say they represent the recreational fishing sector, Legasea and NZ Sport Fishing Council etc. are doing a good job, but probably represent say no more than 20 % of recreational fisherman. Disadvantages • There is a real danger of creating a new “unproductive” industry. In recent time the biggest growth industries in NZ have been in compliance/administration, management systems, QA. RMA etc. etc. overseen by local, regional and central government plus groups of self-interest companies, all mostly unproductive, consuming a huge amount of time and resources. • I live in the Far North and a significant percentage of the population live a subsistent lifestyle and view collecting seafood not as recreational fishing but as obtaining food for the table, no different to a townie going to the supermarket. |
smudge wrote:
Sounds great! What WA has is a coast line that isn't as accessible as our harbours and loads of people putting to sea in all sorts of tubs. Yes we already have a dept all set up but it is horrifically understaffed with most fisheries inspectors being HFO's. I fished 20 years at my local popular boat ramp without ever having my catch inspected. Now we have a local HFO and he has checked my catch maybe 6 times in the last 5 years. Would I pay it if it was going to work? Yes. Will it work? Not a chance. |
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