NSW Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Program (RFMP)

A fisherman is holding his rod on the bow of a boat at sunset

Recreational fishing is one of NSW’s most popular pastimes and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is committed to providing quality recreational fishing opportunities into the future. To achieve this, the Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Program (RFMP) is designed to collect high quality, up-to-date information on recreational and charter fishing in NSW.

The data collected from the RFMP complements the information we get from monitoring other fishing sectors, providing us with a complete picture of the health of our fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. This information is critical to managing the State’s aquatic resources more effectively and ensuring recreational fishing in NSW remains among the world’s best.

The RFMP is a comprehensive citizen science program that engages with thousands of recreational fishers who voluntarily provide information on their fishing activities within a rigorous scientific framework.

There are two components to the RFMP:

  1. Recreational Fishing Research Surveys
    State-wide 12-month surveys of long-term (1 & 3 year) recreational fishing licence holders.
  2. Charter Fishery Monitoring
    A logbook and on-board observer program to monitor the NSW Charter Fishery.

The first RFMP surveys of long-term licence holders and the charter fishing fleet were completed in 2017/18. The current series of RFMP surveys of recreational and charter fishing are underway for 2021/22.

The information from the RFMP contributes crucial information to the ongoing sustainable management of NSW’s shared fisheries resources and is supported with funding from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts.

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