Enforcement and Education

In 2011/12, Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) Trust Account receipts contributed $2,026,900 to The Victorian Fisheries Authority's compliance budget.

RFL Trust Account receipts, when added to ongoing recurrent funding of fisheries compliance (education and enforcement) activities, contributes substantially to the delivery of recreational fisheries compliance services in Victorian coastal and inland locations.

Fisheries Officers have continued to have good contact with recreational fishers in the field during the last year. Table 1 summarises yearly totals for contacts in the recreational fishing sector. The activities are divided into categories based on species, locations or other activities. The data shows the total number of contacts of Fisheries Officers with recreational fishers exceeding 59,000 and then shows the number of offenders, verbal warnings, official warnings, infringement notices, and briefs of evidence for the year.

Table 1

Recreational

Officer contacts with recreational fishers

Number of offenders

Verbal warnings issued

Official warnings issued

Infringement notices issued

Briefs of evidence compiled

General advisory

3166






Abalone (on water)

118

9

5

10

2

0

Abalone (on land)

1273

286

183

115

178

8

Abalone (Inter Tidal Zone)

473

177

53

121

233

2

Intertidal Port Phillip Bay

607

192

130

65

144

2

Intertidal Pippis

2232

193

136

29

83

2

Intertidal Red Shore Crab

258

56

32

30

30

0

Intertidal Other

167

47

29

16

18

0

Bass Yabbies

27

0

0

0

3

0

Rock Lobster (on water)

108

5

2

2

1

0

Rock Lobster (on land)

185

18

9

5

11

1

Ocean (on water)

880

17

12

6

3

0

Ocean (on land)

4466

280

170

90

100

3

Bay & Inlet - Port Phillip Bay (on water)

3287

209

67

70

126

2

Bay & Inlet - Port Phillip Bay (on land)

14771

763

385

209

414

9

Bay & Inlet - Western Port (on water)

820

25

18

13

27

2

Bay & Inlet - Western Port (on land)

1982

48

30

26

51

2

Bay & Inlet - Other (on water)

1462

71

38

16

31

0

Bay & Inlet - Other (on land)

4662

216

131

38

120

1

Scallops (On Water)

0

0

0

0

0

0

Scallops (On Land)

0

0

0

0

0

0

Freshwater (on water)

5152

263

152

67

144

1

Freshwater (on land)

10972

841

376

197

414

5

Spiny Cray

191

20

8

7

6

1

Murray Cod

0

0

0

0

0

0

Fish stocking

94






Angler Club meetings attended

79






Shows, forums, clinics

1970






Totals

59402

3736

1966

1132

2139

41

All of the Fisheries Officers in the State undertake duties related to the recreational fishing sector. Fisheries Officers interact with recreational fishers through:

  • contact with recreational fishers in the field;
  • attending angling club meetings;
  • attending recreational fishing-related shows, forums and clinics;
  • attending fish stocking/liberation events;
  • liaising with grant recipients regarding the successful completion of infrastructure type projects under the annual Recreational Fishing Grants Program (Large Grants);
  • advising fisheries management on issues relating to recreational fishing;
  • assisting the department's Fisheries Research Branch on matters relating to recreational fishing;
  • responding to recreational fishing issues raised from the 13FISH Offence Reporting Line;
  • producing recreational fishing-related media releases/distributing booklets, pamphlets;
  • investigating recreational fishing-related crimes and prosecuting where necessary;
  • collecting intelligence related to recreational fishing offences;
  • participating in recreational fishing-related educational activities with school groups and the broader recreational fishing community;
  • attending family fishing events; and
  • engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority in conjunction with the recreational fishing community strive to achieve high levels of voluntary compliance amongst recreational fishers. By working collaboratively and by continuing to promote responsible and ethical fishing, we are better positioned to ensure both fish for now and fish for the future.

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