Welcome to

There are several issues that threaten our rights to fish Australian Waters, firstly Marine Parks. The Greens mandate is to have 30% of Australian waters marine parks by 2012. These waters will be no
take zones and the Labor party is in support of this action. The alarming point is that we as users of the resource have no rights or say in the matter, or being consulted in the areas proposed. According to the Greens policy, quote "fund the next regional marine planning process with a requirement for its completion around Australia within 10 years" What does this mean?

We have witnessed the conduct of the government in every issue that has directly effected us,

1. Since the introduction of marine parks there is no scientific evidence that has improved the marine environment to justify future acquisition of our waterways.
2. Fisheries Bag Limits -  after months of seeking public opinion the government made the decision based on a couple of individuals.

3. Dredging of the Bay - Deal was done before pubic knowledge, despite all the evidence presented to the government. The bay has changed considerably since dredging.
4. Mako Shark Ban - An overnight decision, no consultation with scientific community or the public, the ban was placed on to appease the conservationist.
5. Thresher Sharks- another example of no consultation with scientific community or the public.

Our peak body VRFish, established and funded by the creation of our recreational licences, has been financially crippled and ostracised by voicing the needs of recreational fishermen because its not palatable with current government option. The licence was also to fund and additional ten (10) fisheries inspectors, and we were promised 22 more with the introduction of the last Marine Parks in 2005. We have now less than before the introduction of fishing licences. The funding appropriation of fishing licences is not directed towards the charter it was created for.

The federal government commissioned a report  in 2009 to quantify  the liability and impact of further marine parks, the report tilted "Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas Displaced Activities Analysis" by Andrew Macintosh and Tim Bonyhady of the Australian National University.

The following paragraphs are extracts from that report.

"Recreational and charter fishing

The situation in relation to the interests of recreational and charter fishers is the same, or weaker,
than commercial fishers. Where recreational and charter fishing is unregulated, the fishers have no
statutory privilege or immunity that might be described as property. They may be exercising a public
right to fish but nothing more. This public right can be modified or extinguished under statute without a question of acquisition arising.


If recreational and charter fishing is regulated, the legal situation is similar to that with commercial fishers. The fishers are likely to be seen to have only a privilege or immunity that can be cancelled
or modified without the provision of just terms.

Recreational fishers

The equity arguments supporting the provision of government assistance to recreational fishers
whose activities are displaced by the creation of MPAs are weak. The rights inherent in recreational
fishing licences are temporary and susceptible to variation. Recreational fishing licences are also classic privileges - they make an otherwise unlawful activity lawful and do not involve anything
approximating a proprietary right to fish. 

As a result, there is no basis from which to argue that governments (or the community) have permanently allocated the relevant natural resources to recreational fishers to use for extractive purposes.

Recreational fishers have simply been given a privilege to use a public resource, which by its nature can be cancelled at any time to allow the resource to be used for alternative public purposes. In addition, the recreational fishers' affected interests are cultural rather than financial and they can generally mitigate their 'losses' by shifting fishing grounds or pursuing alternative interests."

The full report can be downloaded from http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/publications/pubs/mpa-dap-analysis.pdf

What Does It Mean

The wording highlights the total disregard to any fishing right or equity on Australian waters. The value of our sport to the community and Australian industry is not a consideration. Nor is the value of the boating industries, fishing retail industry or the communities that derive or supplement there income from commercial or recreational fishermen.

Recreational anglers must stand coherently united, together with commercial fishermen and channel the voice to all fishermen; not only the active participants, but also the fellow Australians that may only fish once a year on holidays.

We have a Federal election in August and a State Election coming in November.

What can we do? - VOTE with your pen at the next elections.

This is the only way to send a clear message.

Local Issues: Our Victorian Fishing Licenses

I WANT MY MONEY BACK! (ALL $11 MILLION!) – GIVE IT TO RECFISH!

For many years I have asked why it is that we continue to agree to support the payment of 10 Fisheries Officers from our Recreational Fishing License fees (RFL Victoria) whilst OUR own PEAK representative body continues to struggle to get sufficient support or funding.

The case is even worst for OUR National Representative body Recfish who have really had the guts pulled out of them by a Federal Govt who seems intent on “Consulting” with those that are conned by having their ego’s massaged, all the while intending to legislate conflicting agenda’s.

Locally, the State Labor Government is intent on listening to greedy loudmouths, power mongers and media personalities instead of a proper representative association.

However, the biggest rip off comes from the staffing levels at Fisheries Victoria. I have full admiration and respect for Fisheries Victoria staff, who face an often thankless job under some difficult situations.

But it seems none are so difficult as the broken promises on staffing levels as promised by the Labor Government since the introduction of the Recreational Fishing License in 1999.

In a recent interview with the Assistant State Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, Jim Walton who not only confirmed my concerns, but also ignited many others. (Interview with Jim Kerin, Radio 3RPP 98.7FM on Thursday 15^th April)

Victorian anglers agreed to the introduction of an All Waters Angling License in the late nineties, and it (RFL) was introduced in 1999. Since then I am told there has been figures of up to $1.1 million contributed each year to pay for the ten Fisheries Field officers.

Here is where the great con begins. It seems that we may never have received a single new Fisheries Officer in return for OUR money. In fact, according to Jim Walton the numbers of actual Fisheries Officers in Victoria has reduced from 72 -75 in 2003 to only 58 currently! (This figure includes four Fisheries Investigators)

To make matters worse, the State Government also gave their commitment on the introduction of the controversial Marine Parks that there would be an extra 22 Fisheries Officers funded through general revenue.

Quote – Jim Walton:

“Clearly that never occurred!”

“There were certain commitments given in relation to our Marine Parks of an extra 22 fisheries officers on top of the 10 to do with the all purpose license(RFL) but all the department seems to want to talk about is savings.”

So where is the money Mr. Brumby? We don’t have what we paid for over the last ten years. In fact, we have 20% less than what we started with! That is outright deception and in my opinion, theft!

In its place, we have had more and more restrictions, bag limits, taxes and degradation of OUR sport. We have paid for services that we clearly never received!

But wait, there’s more! It seems that we have never been able to actually put a finger on ANY of our funded officers. Allegedly, the money goes into the general revenue fund, and Fisheries Officers are required to apportion a percentage of their time sheets to recreational fishing, even if they have been totally commercially based!

But why hasn’t anybody said anything you ask? Because public sector employees are required to meet confidentiality conditions where open discussion of these items is banned under threat of losing your job!

Quote Jim Walton:

“The State Constitution Act doesn’t allow them (Fisheries Officers) to talk about the administration of places where they work. It is in fact an offence, and if you talk about public administration while you are an employee you can be sacked!”

What is this Nazi Germany? They already have me branded as a “terrorist” for objecting to Channel Deepening, now Public Servants cannot discuss their jobs!

Mind you, this has all happened at a time of massive increases in the popularity of recreational fishing and diving. It has also happened during a period of extreme threat to our bio-security through the abalone virus that has devastated much of the States multi million-dollar industry.

Quote Jim Walton:

“You could almost say that there has been negligence by the department in allowing the staff numbers (Fisheries Officers) to run down while the abalone virus has spread. Its threatening an industry that is worth nearly 40 million just around the Melbourne metro area.”

The Community and Public Sector Union has revealed its tale of woe to Government in five major reviews, and has been met with quote “Blind Silence!”

Apparently, five reviews have discussed the closure of seven out of 10 inland Fisheries Victoria stations, as well as amalgamating the coastal stations. Three of those reviews since 1999 say all stations are in the right places. It seems that the Government just doesn’t care and that all they want to do is save money!

But it is OUR MONEY Mr. Brumby and Mr. Helper! We offered money in exchange for service. This Government has obviously broken that contract at OUR expense, and at the expense of Fisheries Victoria and our marine environment!

Quote Jim Walton:

“They (recreational and professional fishers) are being ripped off in the same way that our members (fisheries officers) are!”

Not good enough Mr Brumby. This is the biggest sport in the State!

I want my money back! Or better still after todays announcement, GIVE IT TO RECFISH!

Further information at: www.cpsu.vic.org

(PS - It is alleged that there were only eight Fisheries Officers covering the whole state over Easter, and that is better than usual!)

John Willis

Ph 0407053484

john@beachmarine.com.au

Here is the reality:   http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nrenfaq.nsf/LinkView/B3FADDCFBC2F125DCA25766C000E80C08D8D2D19F034CEC8CA257661008350A4

The income from Recreational Fishing License (RFL) and investments in 2008/09 was over $5,275,000.00!

Out of that, we paid the following:

$2.0 million for Professional License Buyback – (Final Payment!)

PLUS

$1,030,391.36 Field services state-wide

$ 30,215.41 Admin Costs

$ 256,130.48 On costs and Salaries for admin of RFL

$ 208,442.45 Business Corporate and Assoc Costs

$ 91,255.02 Agency Labour Hire

$1,616,434.72 TOTAL for the Fisheries Officers that we never got, plus other Government Administration costs.

PLUS

$ 45,555.37 Post, Office, Vehicle Hire, Incidentals etc

$ 1,192.50 FRAC (Fisheries Revenue Allocation Committee – Now defunct)

THAT IS A TOTAL OF OVER $1.66 MILLION GOING TO ADMINISTRATION, FIELD SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT CHARGES!

WHAT WE GET BACK!

To be fair I will put the fees paid to tackle shops etc as commission to providers of the RFL. (That is your local tackle shop etc who generally claim that they do not make enough out of the sales to cover costs.)

$ 241,714.40

PLUS

$1,005,303.85 Recreational Fisheries Grants Programs.(Many Gov departments actually get funding for projects through this fund)

PLUS

$ 367,802.05 VRFish our PEAK BODY in Victoria.

.

THEREFORE, FROM OUR CONTRIBUTION TO RFL OF @ $5.275 MILLION, ALL WE GET BACK IS A TOTAL OF @ $1.373 MILLION!

That is a total disgrace!!!

A report commissioned by VRFish and carried out by Ernst and Young identified that recreational fishing in Victoria contributes $2.3 BILLION to the economy per annum!

A good start would be a minimum guaranteed payment of at least $1.5 million to go to our democratic State PEAK BODY so we can stop paying peanuts. (approx 30% of Income)

And a further $750,000 to go to our democratic National PEAK BODY so that we can at least start to have some more professional representation! (approx 15% of income)

Its also time we stop paying for the Fisheries Officers that we NEVER GOT, and put some of OUR excess funds into professional representation and projects as was the original contract for the introduction of RFL!

As you can see there is a balance of over $3 million left over for the grants program plus administration.

Surely this isn’t too much to ask from OUR MONEY!

The Wilderness Society Campaign

A CALL TO ARMS – SAVE OUR RECREATIONAL FISHING SECTOR FROM THE EXTREMISTS

The Wilderness Society has started a campaign to get their members to contact the Liberal Party HQ and tell them how bad Tony Abbott’s marine parks policy is. They say “If Tony Abbott gets his way, Australia will risk joining the global collapse of our oceans, and the collapse of jobs and industries that rely on sustainable fish stocks and healthy oceans.”

http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/tell-tony-how-essential-marine-sanctuaries-are

These people are actively lobbying to stop us fishing altogether make no mistake about it.