Your licence fees at work
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Revenue from the sale of sea fishing licences supports the
Fishwise fund which supports the following recreational fisheries programs:
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Recreational Fisheries Management
– includes staffing and operating the Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee which advises the Minister.
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Licensing and Administration – funds the recreational fisheries licensing system, sale and distribution of licences.
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Communications – fisheries communication and products including website, fisheries displays, fishing guides and phone app, fishing measuring rulers and brochures.
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Community Partnerships – includes Fishcare which promotes sustainable recreational fishing practices.
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Resource Management – contributes to research including IMAS recreational fishery researchers, the general recreational fishing survey and the annual survey of rock lobster and abalone licence holders.
Recreational Fishing Licence Trends 2019-20
- Recreational sea fishing licence holders decreased by ~600 from the previous year to 19,370. Licence numbers still remain relatively low - around 10% less than the average of the previous ten years.
- Rock lobster fishing is the main incentive for taking out a licence. There were just under 17,700 fishers who held at least one rock lobster licence. This is almost 20% lower than in 2007/8 - the peak year for licence numbers.
- There were no biotoxin closures although Covid-19 travel restrictions affected licence sales leading into the Easter fishing period.
Licence Type
| Number |
Recreational Abalone
| 11,152 |
Recreational Beach Seine Net
| 888 |
Recreational Graball Net
| 6,126 |
Recreational Mullet Net
| 703 |
Recreational Rock Lobster Dive
| 8,392 |
Recreational Rock Lobster Pot
| 14,734 |
Recreational Rock Lobster Ring
| 4,142 |
Recreational Scallop
| 4,056 |
Recreational Set Line
| 4,640 |

Recreational licence numbers over time since 1995 - click for larger image
Fishwise Fund Status
- A total of $1.247 million was collected from the sale of recreational sea fishing licences in the year – a decrease of ~$20,000 from the previous year.
- All licence fees except the agreed consolidated revenue contribution of $255,000 was made available to the Fishwise fund. This totalled $942,000. If CPI is considered, Fishwise revenue is around 20% less in real terms compared to 5 years ago.
- Expenditure exceeded revenue in 2019/20 primarily due to the initiation of the Tasmanian Recreational Sea Fishing Strategy. A total of approximately $300,000 is required for the Strategy project between 2019 to 2021.
- The Fishwise Community Grant fund contains $167,052. This, along with the Fishwise Fisheries adjustment fund is flagged for potential implementation of individual season limits/rock lobster monitoring systems or translocation of lobsters to assist the recreational rock lobster fishery on the East Coast.
- Fishery adjustment fund remains with $122,000 in funds.