WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The WA election is on the 8th of March, and prepoll voting commences on the 24th of February.

AFTA started the 2025 year by calling on all WA political parties to commit to addressing the exorbitant cost of living pressure from the very expensive and complicated licensing fees and other restrictive issues impacting our industry.   The full AFTA WA election policy submission is available at https://afta.net.au/afta-policy-submission-on-recreational-fishing-in-wa/.

AFTA has summarised the performance of the current Labor Government and its impacts on our industry, as well as the responses by both the Liberal & National Opposition Parties on our website.

TASMANIA

The contentious issue of Commonwealth Marine Park expansion and lockouts has resurfaced with Minister for the Environment and Water, The Hon Tanya Plibersek, approving the new Southeast Marine Parks Network Management Plan 2025, which in part still excludes access for recreational fishers in parts of Tasmania.

The Final Southeast Marine Parks Network Management Plan 2025 commenced on 13th February 2025.

During the second consultation period on the Draft Southeast Marine Parks Network Management Plan between 11th October and 14th November 2024, a total of 18,400 campaign submissions and 90 unique submissions were received.

AFTA acknowledges and supports the excellent efforts of Jane Gallichan, CEO of TARFish, in presenting a rational approach to addressing this matter. TARFish made a strong submission to the proposed changes to the Southeast Marine Parks Network Management Plan.  As a result, Parks Australia adopted two key recommendations of TARFish to change the proposed zones from National Park to Habitat Protection, which still allows recreational fisher access.

The two recommendations adopted by Parks Australia are:

1. To substantially reduce the proposed increase in the National Park area around Joe’s Reef near Bicheno in the Freycinet Zone and
2. To increase access for recreational fishers to the Flinders Marine Park off St Helens by inserting a Habitat Protection Zone (Yellow Zone).

NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is moving forward to provide certainty for both recreational fishers and commercial operators regarding the 2025 season in the Northern Territory by confirming that there will be no immediate changes to the Barramundi Fishery.

Minister for Recreational Fishing Gerard Maley stated that the CLP is committed to phasing out gillnets from the commercial Barramundi Fishery within the current term of Government, fulfilling an election commitment. Additionally, an expert advisory group will be established to offer clear and consolidated advice on revising the Barramundi Fishery Management Plan.

QUEENSLAND

AFTA has been invited to participate in the Queensland Department of Primary Industries Forum – 25-year Blueprint for a Better Future on the 26th of February 2025 at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane. In addition, AFTA has been part of the team in the pre-development of the agenda over two meetings in the past month.

 The forum will discuss key influences on Queensland’s primary industries, including globalisation, ESG, climate, labour needs, digital technology, diversification, advanced manufacturing, and international trends. Representatives from industry sectors, research, Government, community, and investors will collaborate to create a 25-year blueprint supported by 5-year operational strategies. These strategies will be co-designed to reflect local priorities and achieve our goals.

It’s crucial for recreational fishing to have a voice in these discussions. A report will follow after the conference.

VICTORIA

Over the Christmas period, there were significant changes to both the Government and the Opposition in relation to our industry.

The Labor Government has appointed Ms Luba Grigorovitch as Parliamentary Secretary for Outdoor Recreation (Recfishing), supporting the work of Minister Steve Dimopoulos.

The Liberal/National Opposition, under new leader Brad Battin, has appointed Sam Groth as Shadow Minister for Outdoor Recreation and Bill Tilley as Shadow Assistant Minister for Boating & Fishing.

AFTA welcomes all new appointees and looks forward to working with all in a non-partisan manner for the benefit of recreational fishing.

The Government has again announced support for recreational fishers right across Victoria, with 14 fishing projects set to share in nearly $1.1 million in grants, as well as announcing the Government is bolstering fish stocks in 11 waterways across regional Victoria, helping to improve the populations of threatened fish species.

NEW SOUTH WALES

AFTA is keenly awaiting the announcement on the future of the Blue Grouper fishery in the coming weeks. The Blue Grouper restrictions were imposed on recreational fishers due to an illegal spearfishing event last year.

Anyone caught contravening the closure and taking Eastern Blue Groper in NSW by any method will face a $500 penalty infringement notice and/or maximum court-imposed fines of $22,000 or imprisonment for 6 months (or both) for a first offence and $44,000 or imprisonment for 12 months (or both) for a second or subsequent offence. Please note: Any Eastern Blue Groper incidentally caught while line fishing must be released.

We keenly await a common-sense outcome that was in place prior to this spearfishing event.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The SA Government has been proactive in pursuing those intent on doing the wrong thing in our fishing industry.

In January, three fishermen were fined almost $4,000 after a routine inspection on the Fleurieu Peninsula revealed they were in possession of 22 illegally caught Snapper and another three people have been convicted and ordered to pay fines totalling more than $11,000 for selling and trading recreationally caught Southern Rock Lobster in South Australia. Another three people were caught with 80 large abalone, weighing more than 35 kilograms. The abalone, along with an assortment of diving equipment, storage containers, and mobile phones, were seized pending further investigation into the matter.

Taking proactive observation and action on these illegal actions helps towards the sustainability of our industry.

FEDERAL – OFFSHORE WINDFARMS

Recreational fishers have welcomed the common-sense approach that Liberal Leader Peter Dutton has shown in stating that he will now cancel the Southern Ocean Offshore Wind Zone in addition to the Hunter, Illawarra & Bunbury offshore windfarms citing “the wind farms would blight the landscape and disrupt the tourism and fishing industries”. This follows the South Australian Government’s rejection of the SA wind farm proposal, citing impacts on fisheries.

This only leaves the Gippsland and Tasmania’s Bass Straight as the only ones still to be continued if the Coalition is elected this year. 

ELECTIONS:

Over the next 12 months, there will be elections in:

Western Australia

March 8th 2025

Issues to be raised are outlined in AFTA’s policy submission here.

Federal

May 2025

Issues to be raised:

• Offshore Windfarms
• Shark Depredation
• Importation of green prawns and white spot disease
• Actions to address microplastics in the ocean.
• Banning the importation of Crab Pots that don’t comply with Australia-wide state legislation.

2026 ELECTION DATES 

South Australia

March 21st, 2026

Victoria

November 28th, 2026