Licensing Evaluation for Tasmanian Recreational Fishing
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Title: Investigating Licensing Arrangements for Tasmanian recreational fisheries
Lead Investigator: Sven Frijlink
Date: 2012
The specific objectives of the project are:
- To critically evaluate the current licensing framework for Tasmania's marine recreational fisheries.
- To investigate alternative licensing frameworks for Tasmania's marine recreational fisheries based on criteria developed in collaboration with stakeholders.
- To establish an understanding of what fishers expect from the licensing framework and how potential changes to the current licensing system may be perceived.
Summary of the Final Report
Project background and outcomes
The report has been completed by an independent consultant under a Fishwise Community Grant project. Although the Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee had supported this project proposal and the Department commissioned the project, at this stage no changes are proposed for recreational sea licences in Tasmania. The report does not make any recommendations. The report may be further contemplated when considering the challenges faced with declining recreational license and Fishwise revenues.
The report provides an overview of the:
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current licensing framework and its the strengths and challenges;
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current Fishwise budgetary position;
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an overview of different license frameworks; and,
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an assessment of alternative licensing models.
The report raises the key issues with the current framework including:
- revenue generating capacity;
- revenue security and fluctuating revenue resulting from a reliance on single-species fisheries (that may undergo natural fluctuations in stock and therefore participation);
- difficulties and costs involved in contacting fishers in non- licensed fisheries for research (surveys) and in the communication of management related information; and,
- equity issues - e.g. fishers involved with certain fisheries pay and others do not.
The report states that
"Some models 'performed' considerably better than others; both in terms of individual criteria and as an overall assessment. Of the latter, variations of the Marine Waters Fishing Licence (MWFL) with endorsements received the highest aggregate scores. The combination of broadening the licence revenue base through a 'general licence' coupled with the use of licence endorsements to access high value and high impact fisheries was deemed to address the criteria most successfully. The ability to maintain a system of endorsements for high value and high impact fisheries, and its associated advantages, was deemed especially appropriate for the licensing of Tasmania's marine recreational fisheries."