Friday, March 29, 2024
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Tackle industry presents “new vision” for angling in NSW

WITH just over a month before voters head to the polls, NSW political parties have been presented with a blueprint outlining the tackle industry’s plans for recreational fishing in the state.

The Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) has sent a letter to political leaders detailing a “new vision” for recreational fishing in NSW.

The AFTA letter has been sent to Premier Mike Baird, ALP leader Luke Foley, the Shooters Party’s Robert Brown and Greens MP Jamie Parker.

In the letter, AFTA CEO Allan Hansard says the tackle sector wants to see NSW develop as a “world class” recreational fishery.

“NSW recreational fishers are looking for a government that understands the significant economic, social and environmental benefits recreational fishing brings to (the state),” Hansard says in the AFTA letter.

The tackle industry body has asked NSW political leaders to support a three-pronged initiative combining extra recreational fishing havens, a restructure of the state’s beleaguered commercial fishing sector and better recognition of the importance of the recreational fishing sector.

Key demands by AFTA include recreational havens in Sydney Harbour and the Hawkesbury system, fast tracking of the current review of commercial fishing in NSW and the development of policies to “increase the recognition of recreational fishing with government and the broader community”.

Current polling indicates the NSW election, due to be held on March 28, will likely be a tight race between the Coalition Government headed by Mike Baird and a resurgent Labor Party led by Luke Foley.

Recent elections in Victoria and Queensland resulted in Coalition governments losing to the ALP. Recreational fishing issues – mainly to do with reducing or banning commercial netting practices – played a key role in both polls. As a result, the new Government in Victoria has promised to ban netting in Port Phillip Bay while Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk will stop the nets in important recreational fishing areas along the state’s coastline.

A Q&A recently conducted by Fisho (see HERE) indicates that Labor will declare extra RFHs plus appoint a Minister for Recreational Fishing if it wins power. The Coalition has so far ruled out any further expansion of net-free areas. Both parties are due to release specific recreational fishing policies before the March 28 poll.

Fisho understands the AFTA letter is the start of a major campaign by the tackle industry and recreational fishing organisations led by the Recreational Fishing Alliance in the lead-up to the NSW election.

Fisho will follow up with NSW political leaders to gauge their responses to the AFTA letter.

Meantime, see a transcript of the letter AFTA sent to Premier Mike Baird HERE.

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