AFTA Chair’s Report – April 2025

FEDERAL ELECTION

With the election scheduled for the 3rd of May and Pre Poll Voting beginning on Tuesday, 22nd April, the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) has, over the past three-year term, expressed significant concerns regarding the Albanese Labor Government’s stance on several key issues.

At the time of publishing this report, only the Coalition, Greens & One Nation have issued some level of policy on recreational fishing. Shooters, Farmers and Fishers have not updated their policy since the last election. Nothing has been published by Labor as yet. AFTA notes that there are still just over two weeks until the election, and the parties may publish their policies after voting has commenced on the 22nd April. 

Click here to read my analysis.

Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

AFTA joins RecfishWest in congratulating The Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries; Forestry; Small Business; Mid West on adding Recreational fishing to her portfolio. As an MP based in the Margaret River region, we look forward to working with her to improve recreational fishing in WA.

VICTORIA

Billy Parsons, Ms Luba Grigorovitch and Hon Bob Baldwin

The rescheduled AFTA Board meeting provided an opportunity to meet with The Hon Luba Grigorovitch, Parliamentary Secretary for Outdoor Recreation (Recfishing), who works alongside Minister Steve Dimopoulos, to discuss matters related to recreational fishing. Travis Dowling, CEO of the VFA, attended the meeting and confirmed the Victorian Government’s sponsorship of the AFTA Gala Dinner & Awards Night.

Thanks are extended to Vice President Billy Parsons (JM Gillies) for attending the meeting.

AFTA noted that Victoria serves as a benchmark state for positive recreational fishing regulation and investment and expressed support for the state’s endorsement of recreational fishing.

NEW SOUTH WALES

NSW has opened a public consultation on the Draft NSW Mulloway Harvest Strategy. Harvest strategies are a global best-practice tool for fisheries management. The strategy aims to set objectives, monitoring arrangements, and decision rules for managing recreational and commercial harvests, with a focus on rebuilding Mulloway stock biomass.

Input on management options to improve data assessment and manage harvest levels is welcome.

Click here to provide your feedback by 25th of May 2025.

FRDC | Fisheries Research & Development Corporation

Brett Tait and Col Tannahill at FRDC Circular Economy Workshop

Great to catch up with AFTA member Tangaroa Blue at the Circular Advantage workshop hosted by the FRDC in Brisbane. Tangaroa Blue was represented by Brett Tait, who demonstrated their Rig Recycle fishing line processor. This system is capable of processing both braid and monofilament lines for recycling.

Read the update from Brett here.

Elections

Victoria

November 28th, 2026