What We Believe
Fishing is one the most popular recreational activities in NSW. Fishing promotes well-being and is a great Australian pastime enjoyed by millions of Aussie’s each year. It provides both economic and social public benefits, injecting billions of dollars into the NSW economy annually, and directly and indirectly employing over 14,000 people.
Fishers, like their terrestrial hunting comrades, have increasingly become the victims of green bureaucracy gone mad, while true facts and statistics are repeatedly ignored or, even worse, misrepresented. The ever-expanding creation of marine parks and the extension of sanctuary zones without proper scientific study is an example of green bureaucracy gone mad.
Commercial fisheries and commercial fishers are also part of the equation. Today, the commercial fishing sector is being forced to transition into an inequitable market-share system, which would deliver unfavourable outcomes for individuals and businesses alike. We believe in the viability of a sustainable commercial fishing sector, an industry which is critical to the NSW economy.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party has a proud history of supporting fishing throughout the State. We will continue to protect and seek to extend the traditional opportunities for fishing in NSW through feasible and fact-based regulation rather than green tape.
Our Action Plan
A single Statutory Authority for recreational fishers
We will campaign for the NSW Government to create a Statutory Authority for recreational fishers, Fisheries NSW and Marine Parks under one authority. Recreational fishers deserve better customer service and a single authority would be better positioned to adequately address the issues and concerns of the fishing community. A single authority would be able to provide uniform, sustainable management of NSW marine ecosystems.
No more marine parks! Fair access!
We vigorously oppose the creation of new marine parks and support the existing marine parks being opened to sustainable recreational fishing, whilst maintaining proper public access to all inland and estuarine waters for the benefit of recreational fishers.
Funding for recreational fishing programs and opportunities
We continue to support all recreational fishing opportunities throughout NSW, and we recognise that funding and resources forms a critical part of maintaining a viable and safe fishing industry in our State. In doing so, we will work to establish ongoing funding of community fishing safety education programs and expand the successful ‘Angel Rings’ placement program along the NSW coastline. Part of the equation is ensuring that all revenue raised through fishing license fees is managed by anglers, and used for the betterment and promotion of fishing and fishing facilities.
Fighting for fair and sustainable fishing
Recreational fishing policy and regulation should be based on sound scientific study and rationalism, not skewed ideology. Anglers deserve a fair and equitable share of fish stock. In protecting our marine biodiversity, ‘lock-out’ philosophies only serve to undermine and restrict recreational fishing access. We will support the establishment of a Sydney Harbour recreational fishing haven, and encourage the continuation of existing fishing havens where it has been demonstrated that commercial activities are not sustainable and/or are seriously depleting fish stocks.
Proper use of “catch and release”
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party promote the proper use of “catch and release” practices to maintain fish stocks, while allowing reasonable catch limits.
Managing fish species
We support the stocking of fish species to assist and maintain fish populations, provided that quality of stock is maintained, including non-native game species. We will continue to push for measures to help reduce the threat and impact of invasive fish species such as the European Carp and mosquito fish, to help mitigate their impact on our native fish species.
Boating
Boating is a part of Australian culture, given that we are surrounded by some of the world’s finest waters, and is part and parcel of the fishing industry. Greater boating access for responsible users increases the value of this economically and cultural significant activity.
What This Means For You
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party are the only party that will protect the recreational and commercial fishing sector against the insidious growth of leftist ideologies who have no regard for sound scientific reasoning.
We will commit to ensuring that recreational fishing remains a great Australian pastime to be enjoyed by the next generation, through the introduction and support of legislation that provides further fishing opportunities across NSW.
We will work tirelessly to provide better recreational access for fishers, and reject the lock away approach taken by the major parties and the extreme Greens. We will ensure stocks for the future, based on proper science, not on ideological social commentary.