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Terry Fuller -> Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licences (26 February 2007 22:32:48)
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Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licences
There have been many threads which got on to the topic of a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licence for Western Australia.
Finding those posts and the comments made in the past is not easy. Many questions get asked and answered, many points get raised, yet the same questions get asked again in some later thread.
This post is an attempt to summarise as a permanent, easy to access record and list of all the points/conditions/questions/issues/answers which people have raised.
I have split/combined/expanded some of the points for clarity. I will update this list as required.
This thread is locked, not to prevent discussion, but ONLY so that the information will always be easy to find and read, and so it is not lost in and spread over pages of comments by different people.
Please use any of the existing threads (or start a new one) email or PM to comment on this, or to suggest or ask for extra points or changes to this list.
Terry Fuller
Moderator, Western Angler Fisheries Management and Environmental Issues Forum
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Some references For you to do your own research and reading.
Current WA Liberal Government was elected in September 2008. The Party did not issue a licence policy statement for that election.
However, on 2 July 2009, the Fisheries Minister announced a State wide Boat Fishing licence, and a West Coast Demersal Fishing licence, both to apply from 15 October 2009. http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx?ItemId=132159 and http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/RecFishArrange/index.php
The Premier, Colin Barnett, said the Government had deferred any decision on a general recreational fishing licence, but it is not totally off the agenda. http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx?ItemId=132180
Previous WA Labor Government Policy. "Reaffirm its commitment not to introduce a licence fee for saltwater recreational line fishing." From Labor's election "Plan For Fisheries," February 2005 http://www.recfishwest.org.au/Labor2005PlanForFisheries.htm#WillDoRecreational An election was held September 2008. Labor Party did not issue a licence policy statement for that election.
NSW Recreational Fishing Licences http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/licence-fee
Victorian Recreational Fishing Licences http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nrenfaq.nsf/childdocs/-B43DB2A1BECEB2A04A256812001DD817-95B829F72E1283B64A256A65000B6247?open
Existing WA fishing Licences http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/rfl/index.php?0103 but see also http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/RecFishArrange/index.php for changes proposed by 15 October 2009.
What a licence can achieve Forum discussion http://www.westernangler.com.au/forum/fb.asp?m=133050
Registration or Recreational licenses as one of the demersal fishing management options for Perth Metro recreational only fishing zone Forum discussion September 2007 http://www.westernangler.com.au/forum/fb.asp?m=157712
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This listing is under development for comments and updates.
Numbering is for reference only and is not necessarily an indication of importance.
Eventually this list could be split into a list of the "must haves" and a list of the "could/nice to haves"
Conditions for agreeing to a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licence (SWRFL).
1. All licence revenue must be paid into a Recreational Fishing Trust Fund solely for the benefit of recreational fishing.
2. Funds must be allowed to accumulate if not spent in any one calendar or financial year. Funds must never be "forfeited" to the government or for any other purpose.
3. Expenditure from Recreational Fishing Trust Fund (licence fees revenue) must be approved and overseen by a committee that has a membership including a majority of community recreational fishers.
4. Rules/Guidelines for what the funds can and cannot be spent on to be decided by a committee that has a membership including a majority of community recreational fishers, and the rules must be published.
(And that's a very big topic and could include research, education, compliance, stocking, buy outs, artificial reefs, jetties, facilities, signs, etc, etc, but that's a separate topic to the licence.)
5. All proposed and actual expenditure and results of projects, etc. funded from licence fees must be reported publicly with no significant delay and be included in comprehensive reports posted on the internet.
6. There must be a guarantee that licence income would not reduce existing Government funding which would otherwise have been spent on recreational fishing if there were no licence revenue.
7. The real value of government spending for recreational fishing must be maintained, for example by indexing for inflation and preferably also for growth as measured by population or the number of licences. Must get the base figure right first of course.
8. The annual licence fee must be maintained at a reasonable amount and be set by the committee mentioned above.
9. Longer term 3 or 5 year licences should be available at less cost per year than the yearly fee.
10. Daily, weekly, monthly and/or single trip licenses must be available at reasonable rates.
11. Some special days and holidays like Fathers’ Day, Christmas, Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day, etc. could be declared license free days to allow casual anglers to fish for fun without the need to obtain a licence.
12. Children under 16 should be exempt from paying for a SWRFL.
13. There should be concessions for some classes of pensioners or concession card holders. (considerable disagreement on this but see the concessions for existing WA fishing licences)
14. Licences should be easily available using methods such as internet, email, telephone, tackle shops, Fisheries offices, Post Offices, etc.
15. Recreational fishing licences of all types must provide information on participation and catches for allocation of funds, research, management of stocks, control and compliance.
16. "Umbrella" or all classes licences do not provide accurate information about participation rates where they are bought just to save money compared to buying individual licences. This results in people having licences they do not intend to or cannot use. Any combinations of licences at reduced rates must allow for point 15 and 17.
17. Licence holders should be encouraged (or required?) to provide some details of their fishing activities and catches for research and fish stock management purposes, for example Research Angler log book programs http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/macs/research/index.php?0001
18. Penalties for fishing without a licence should be nominal for first offenders but then graded according to the person’s recreational fishing compliance history and should escalate for repeat offenders.
19. Fishing licences are a privilege and can be suspended or cancelled for serious or blatant offences against Fisheries rules.
20. Fishing while a licence has been suspended or cancelled should result in significant fines. Repeat offences of fishing while a licence is suspended or cancelled should result in escalating fines or penalties and possible confiscation of the equipment used, including fishing gear, boats and motor vehicles.
21. Issue of a license should be conditional on demonstration that the person has a knowledge of bag and size limits, is able to identify the most commonly caught fish, and is aware of how best to handle and care for the catch, both for consumption and release for any reason. Suggested and added am 27 February 2007
22. An alternative to the demonstration specified in point 21 would be that the person certifies that he has read specific bag, size limit and identification booklets and agrees to have them while fishing, and has read, understood and will follow a nominated booklet covering catch care. This alternative is to cover licences obtained on line or from outlets which cannot do practical tests. Suggested and added am 27 February 2007
Version 2, dated am 27 February 2007
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Edit 23 September 2007 - checked and updated the external links. List of conditions was not changed.
Edit 25 July 2009 - checked and updated the external links, added links to recent WA decisions on Boat Licences and West Coast Demersal licences. List of conditions was not changed.
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