• ​Recreational Fisheries Management – Funds core activities for recreational fisheries management including staffing and the operation of the Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee (RecFAC) which provides advice on fisheries management issues.​

• Licensing and Administration – funds the recreational fisheries licensing system, database management, sales and distribution of licences.​​

• Communications – fisheries communication and products including website, fishing awareness major exhibits, the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide (printed) and phone app, social media, fishing measuring rulers, gauges and brochures.
  

• Community Partnerships – Includes Fishcare which promotes sustainable recreational fishing practices and an understanding of recreational fishing rules.
  

• Resource Management – Contributes to recurrent research projects including: IMAS recreational fishery researchers, annual survey of the recreational rock lobster and abalone fisheries and the general recreational fishing survey.
  
  

Recreational Fishing Licence Trends 2019-20

• Rock lobster fishing is the main incentive for taking out a licence.  There were just under 17,700 fishers who held at least one rock lobster licence.  This is almost 20% lower than in 2007/8 - the peak year for licence numbers.

• There were no biotoxin closures however Covid-19 travel restrictions affected licence sales leading into the Easter fishing period.

​Licence Type	​Number
​Recreational Abalone	​11,152
​Recreational Beach Seine Net	​888
​Recreational Graball Net	​6,126
​Recreational Mullet Net	​703
​Recreational Rock Lobster Dive	​8,392
​Recreational Rock Lobster Pot	​14,734
​Recreational Rock Lobster Ring	​4,142
​Recreational Scallop	​4,056
​Recreational Set Line	​4,640

Recreational licence numbers over time since 1995 - click for larger image

Fishwise Fund Status

• A total of $1.247 million was collected from the sale of recreational sea fishing licences in the year – a decrease of ~$20,000 from the previous year.

• All licence fees except the agreed consolidated revenue contribution of $255,000 was made available to the Fishwise fund.  This totalled $942,000.  If CPI is considered, Fishwise revenue is around 20% less in real terms compared to 5 years ago.   

• Expenditure exceeded revenue in 2019/20 primarily due to the initiation of the Tasmanian Recreational Sea Fishing Strategy.  A total of approximately $300,000 is required for the Strategy project between 2019 to 2021.

• The Fishwise Community Grant fund contains $167,052.  This, along with the Fishwise Fisheries adjustment fund is flagged for potential implementation of individual season limits/rock lobster monitoring systems or translocation of lobsters to assist the recreational rock lobster fishery on the East Coast.

• Fishery adjustment fund remains with $122,000 in funds.