Rec fishing licence sees funds put back into the water

The State Government will this year spend a record amount on a range of projects to boost recreational fishing across NSW.

The projects include fish re-stocking, scientific research, public education campaigns, habitat restoration, and the continuation of the successful fish aggregating devices program

All of these programs are funded directly from the sale of recreational fishing licenses in NSW.

This is fantastic news for the more than one million people in NSW who wet a line at least once a year.

Recreational fishing is one of the community’s favourite pastimes and supports many regional businesses and tourism in NSW.

Since the sale of general fishing licenses began in March 2001, dozens of vital projects to protect and increase the number of fish in NSW waters have been carried out.

Funds from the recreational fishing license are placed into two Recreational Fishing Trusts, overseen by expert angler committees – one for saltwater and one for freshwater.

This means that the fishing community decides how every cent of the license funds is spent.

Projects to be funded this year include:

• More than $535,000 for fish re-stocking, including $200,000 for the highly successful dollar-for-dollar native fish stocking program;

• $446,000 for the fish aggregating devices (FAD) program over the next three years, with the aim of increasing the number of devices from 15 to 20;

• $554,000 from the saltwater trust for a new research program which will help maximise the survival chances of fish caught and released;

• Almost $90,000 on a rock fishing safety awareness campaign, which includes brochures in a number of different languages, advertising, and a DVD on rock fishing safety; and

• Nearly $700,000 for fish habitat restoration projects, including $200,000 for coastal fish habitats and another $200,000 for inland water restorations.