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NEWS:  Labor will move disallowance of harsh regulations  >>  Debate page 5829    Debate page 6198

Harsh Changes to Fishing Licences Introduced Without Public Consultation

Attack on Recreational Fishing in WA: Minister for Fisheries, Norman Moore has announced increases in fishing licence fees that make Western Australia the most expensive recreational fishery in the world. The total fee for the new recreational fishing licences in WA is $207; compare that to $24.50 in Vic and $30 in NSW to cover the same range of recreational fishing! The half price but high $103.50 cost for children to fish in WA is particularly punitive when there is no fee for children fishing in other states in Australia (with a few marine exceptions in Tas).

Fishing Tax Grab: when a fee exceeds the cost of a service it is a tax. There is no justification for high fishing licence fees in WA when there are either low or no fees in other states and territories in Australia. Minister Moore says it costs more for a fishing licence in WA because we have a long coastline. Queensland also has a long coastline but there is no licence or fee required to fish recreationally on the coast or in the ocean or estuaries. There is no excuse for the harsh fees, they are a tax. 

Affect on Families and Busineses: this misconceived tax grab will not improve fishing and will detract from the pleasure of fishing and boating enjoyed by over 500,000 people in WA. In addition to the affect on families, it will also have a major detrimental affect on the viability of boat/dinghy hire and fishing charter businesses, and on tackle shops where many customers only occasionally fish from a boat as a guest of a boat owner but buy tackle and bait on those occasions. Does the WA Government want to stop families fishing for recreation? Doesn’t the Government care about affects on related businesses and tourism in regional WA?

No Consultation: there was no consultation with the public before the Minister announced the new fishing taxes that he said would apply from October 2009, now March 2010. The amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 required for these unfair and irrational licences and fees must be disallowed by State Parliament, and the controversial proposals be subject to public consultation with opportunity to comment before any new licences are applied. The Department of Fisheries have 413 staff and a budget of $60 million to apply to development of an options paper on regulation and licensing of recreational fishing for public comment.

TAKE ACTION NOW: Send LETTERS to your local Member in the Legislative Assembly and Members for your region in the Legislative Council and request they support disallowance of amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 required for the introduction of a Recreational Boat Fishing Licence and fee increases.  Please see options for letters below, available for DOWNLOAD.

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Letter with emphasis on high cost of all fishing licences in WA and punitive cost for children

Your Address
/   /2009

Address of Member of State Parliament 

Dear 

ATTACK ON RECREATIONAL FISHING IN WA: REQUEST FOR DISALLOWANCE OF AMENDMENTS TO THE FISH RESOURCES MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS 1995 

I respectfully request you support disallowance of amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 for introduction of new licences and fees which together make a total of $207 for recreational fishing licences in WA compared to $24.50 in Vic and $30 in NSW for a licence to cover the same range of recreational fishing. 

Currently, the maximum cost in WA to participate in the range of fishing is $87 under the ‘umbrella licence’; however, Minister for Fisheries Norman Moore is abolishing the ‘umbrella licence’ and now it will cost $207 for an adult to participate in the range of fishing in WA, and $103.50 for a child under 16. The $207 total for licences derives from $30 for boat fishing, and $40 each for crayfish, abalone, marron, freshwater and net fishing; with 10% discount if all are purchased at the same time. The half price but high cost for children to fish in WA is particularly punitive when there is no fee for children fishing in other states in Australia (with a few marine exceptions in Tas).  

The Department of Fisheries estimate 565,000 persons fished for one day or more in WA in 2007-2008. Fishing is the most popular sport in WA, and in contrast to many other sports is often an activity involving the whole family. Significantly in the context of the high cost of fishing licences is that 43% of the 565,000 persons fished for less than 5 days a year. The fees will have the effect of deterring families from the one or two outings a year during the seasons for marron, trout, abalone and crayfish, or when they are invited onto a friend’s boat for a day, or they hire a boat.  

Generally, the few days family fishing is during school holidays, and often in holiday towns in regional WA. Doesn’t the Government care about affects on related businesses and tourism in regional WA?  Please reply to my queries. 

Minister Moore says it costs more for a fishing licence in WA because we have a long coastline. Queensland also has a long coastline but there is no licence or fee required to fish recreationally in the ocean or estuaries. There is no excuse for the harsh fees, they are a tax. 

Minister Moore announced the new licensing system in July 2009 to take effect from mid-October 2009, he now says March 2010. There was no prior opportunity for public discussion of the harsh increases that make WA the most expensive recreational fishery in the world. The Minister must publish an options paper on regulation and licensing of recreational fishing with opportunity for public comment before any new licences and fees are applied.

Please reply and advise me that you will support disallowance of these unacceptable amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995. 

Yours sincerely

DOWNLOAD LETTER AS WORD DOCUMENT
Letter with emphasis on new Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence

Your Address
/   /2009

Address of Member of State Parliament 

Dear 

REQUEST FOR DISALLOWANCE OF AMENDMENTS TO THE FISH RESOURCES MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS 1995 

I respectfully request you support disallowance of amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 associated with the introduction of a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence. The Minister for Fisheries announced the new licensing system on 2 July 2009 to take effect from mid-October 2009, now March 2010. The Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence will effectively be required by most persons fishing from a boat, at an annual cost of $30 for adults and $15 for children. There was no prior opportunity for public discussion of a proposal for a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence and it now must be subject of attention by Parliament. 

Recreational fishing from a boat is a social pastime; it is common for a boat owning family to share their boating outings with other families and friends during the course of a year. For most boat owners sharing their boat with others for a few hours is a major aspect of pleasure from owning a boat. Sometimes fishing is the prime reason for a boating outing, but often it is secondary to the pleasure of being on the water or accessing a beach or island. There are 72,000 registered recreational boats in WA, and with an estimated 250,000 persons using the boats the Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence could be required by 100,000 persons. To require 100,000 persons to hold a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence where in most instances they may only fish for a few hours a year for fish that are not endangered (eg whiting, squid, crabs, bream) and not subject to special limitations, is unfair and irrational.  

There are important issues associated with a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence; including cost and inconvenience for families in WA, disincentive to actively recreate outdoors, disincentive to occasionally hire a boat/dinghy or day fish on a charter boat, disincentive to holiday in WA causing a negative impact on regional WA, inconsistency with non-boat fishing and extension of unnecessary Government ‘red tape’. It is vital the Parliament debate these issues, and proper scrutiny should lead to disallowance of the misconceived regulations. 

In addition to the unfair Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence, the amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 include unreasonable increases in other licence fees which together make a total of $207 for recreational fishing licences in WA. This is a major tax on families in WA compared to $24.50 in Vic and $30 in NSW for a licence to cover the same range of recreational fishing. Again, there has been no opportunity for public discussion prior to the cost increases and they must be subject to analysis and debate in the Parliament in the course of a disallowance motion. 

Please reply and advise me that you will support disallowance of these unacceptable amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995.

Yours sincerely

DOWNLOAD LETTER AS WORD DOCUMENT

PLEASE

Please tell others about www.fishingtaxgrab.com.

Please follow up your Members of Parliament if you don't receive a reply to your letters.

THANKS

Thanks for taking action against these unfair and irrational regulations. 

Thanks to the Club Marine Perth Boat and Leisure Show 2009 (12 to 16 August) for supporting the campaign. 11,000 letters to Members of Parliament were addressed and signed at the www.fishingtaxgrab.com booth at the boat show. Senders of letters expect a personal reply from their members of Parliament on support for disallowance of the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995

NEWS

12 August 2009: Labor Leader Eric Ripper moves a motion in State Parliament condemning the proposed regulations and commits to disallowance. Read Hansard record of debate in Parliament (from page 5829, and page 6198).

14 August 2009: Play FishingTaxGrab.com radio advertisement running on Spirit Radio Network.

Follow news on progress with disallowance at www.fishingtaxgrab.com. The amendments to the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 are presently being drafted. After they are published in the Government Gazette they must be tabled in State Parliament and are then open to motions of disallowance. Voting on the disallowance motion will be recorded in Hansard.

FishingTaxGrab.com is run by concerned fishing and boating families and businesses; the coordinators are Neil Bartholomaeus of Manjimup and Ben Patrick of Fremantle.

Please contact@fishingtaxgrab.com with suggestions and comments.