Where do recreational fisheries

sit in the Australian Fisheries Industry?

Who has a stake in fish stocks?

RECREATIONAL

INDIGENOUSCOMMUNITY/

CONSERVATION

AQUACULTURE

COMMERCIAL

FISH

How is that stake defined?

• Commercial GVP $1.4 billion 2008-09• Aquaculture GVP $0.85 billion 2008-09• Recreational no GVP equivalent

expenditure $2.2 billion 2000-01• Indigenous – customary fishing rights• Conservation - no fishing areas

Can it be put another way?

• 4,600 jobs in commercial fishing, hunting and trapping

• 4,600 jobs in aquaculture• 90,000 jobs in rec sector industries• Unknown numbers for indigenous• Unknown number for no fishing areas

Drivers and pressures

• Sustainability

• Environmental degradation

• No fishing areas

• Water extraction and use

• Competing fishing sectors

• Climate change

Key areas of resource allocation

• Allocation between utilisation and conservation

• Allocation between sectors

Recfishers and Conservation Allocation

• Recognition and engagement of recfishers as key affected stakeholders

• Acceptance that there is a loss to the sector – not just to recreational fishing businesses

• Sector “compensation” in the form of new fishing opportunities eg artificial reefs

• Increased use of zoning options that minimise impact to benthic communities eg trolling, no take away of fish

Resource allocation between sectors

• Sound data a prerequisite to resource allocation

• Sustainability must set total catch limits• Initial allocations within total limits to

sectors based on optimising benefit to community

• Changes in allocations between sectors based on commercial considerations

Levelling the playing field

• Bureaucratic and government recognition of impacts of no fishing areas on recfishers and their associated communities

• Improving ability of recfishers to take part in the process

• Improving data collection on recreational fisheries in disputed fisheries