State Fisheries Advisory Groups

MELBOURNE Ross Winstanley

Casting around the fisheries agency websites around Australia reveals substantial differences in the arrangements giving recreational fishers a direct and ongoing role in fisheries management decision processes.

Most states and the Northern Territory have formal committees or councils set up to advise the Fisheries Minister on recreational and broader fisheries issues. Some also directly involve recreational fishers as representatives or knowledgeable members, alongside other sectors, in formal ‘co-management’ bodies, which advise ministers and governments on high level management and policy matters.

And two states – Queensland and Victoria – have neither.

NEW SOUTH WALES

The Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council (RFNSWAC) provides advice to the Fisheries Minister on key recreational fishing issues in NSW. To ensure that State-wide fishers’ views are considered, the Council includes members drawn from eight regions of the state, plus spearfishing, fishing charters, and other interests.

A Cabinet-appointed Ministerial Fisheries Advisory Council advises the Fisheries Minister with “high level strategic policy advice on issues relating to the management of fisheries resources in NSW”. This is a statutory body, that is prescribed in legislation, to include as one of its five members, one who has “expertise in recreational fishing and represents recreational fishing interests”. The Council’s role is to provide high-level advice on the management of the fishing sectors, plus fisheries-wide areas such as resource sharing.

Established in 2000, the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW’s mission is “to be recognised as the peak recreational fishing body in NSW”. As such, it works closely with Fisheries NSW and other agencies on behalf of the State’s recreational fishers, and engages in a range of education, information and other programs. In reality, the RFA of NSW is among a number of bodies working for NSW recreational fishers. NORTHERN TERRITORY

The NT’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) advises the Minister, providing high level strategic advice on key matters relating to recreational fishing. This includes delivery of the Government’s Recreational Fishing Development Plan 2012-2022. The Committee is a statutory body, with members “with a wide range of skills and experience in recreational fishing”.

In the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT), NT’s recreational fishers have the benefit of a representational and advocacy body that is recognised by the NT and Commonwealth governments “as the peak body representing recreational fishing” in the Territory.

Working on behalf of recreational fishers, AFANT lists many key achievements through its membership of the RFAC and a number of fishery and water management advisory committees. It influences decisions across a broad range of issues, working with Government agencies, Ministers and NGOs, and – at a national level – as a member of the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation.

QUEENSLAND

Unlike NSW and the NT, Queensland has no statutory body to advise the Minister on behalf of recreational fishers. What it does have is the Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel, a wholly independent advisory body made up of experts in fisheries management, stock assessment, economics and social science. This Panel’s purpose is to advise the Minister on “best practice fisheries management” and related strategic actions. But there is no involvement of members with practical fishing experience or standing in the recreational fishing sector.

Sunfish QLD, the peak recreational fishing body, continues to operate. Members are active on joint fisheries working groups and in delivery of angler education, citizen science and other programs.

The decades old ‘pleasure craft levy’ (PPV) funds have grown from $1M annually in the 1990s to $5.7M in 2020. Along the way, the annual revenue has gone from a fund dedicated to recreational fisheries programs – in consultation with fishers – to being absorbed into the Fisheries Queensland core budget, spent in line with government priorities.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (MRFAC) represents and serves the needs of SA’s recreational fishers, providing “feedback and advice on recreational fishing development, initiatives and policies”.

The departmental (PIRSA) and MRFAC websites show no indication of a multi-sector co-management body, and there is no peak body representing all of SA’s recreational fishers. TASMANIA

The management of marine and inland recreational fishing, and representation of marine and inland fishers, are handled quite separately in Tasmania. The Recreational Fishery Advisory Committee (RecFAC) advises the Minister on recreational sea fishing policy and management matters. The Government-recognised, fully independent peak body, TARfish, represents Tasmania’s marine recreational fishers and their interests.

Under separate legislation, the Inland Fisheries Advisory Council (IFAC) advises the Minister on inland fisheries issues, provides a forum for consultation, encourages community support and reviews management plans. As well as regional anglers and freshwater angling associations, membership includes commercial fishing, conservation, tourism representatives. This builds on arrangements operating for many decades, where freshwater anglers have enjoyed direct representation in the management of their fisheries. VICTORIA

There is no recreational fishing advisory body to represent recreational fishers’ interests and advise the Minister or the Victorian Fisheries Authority. Nor is there a cross-sectoral standing committee to advise the Minister on fisheries matters, including recreational fisheries management and policy. While originally established and recognised as representing all Victorian recreational fishers, the former state-wide peak body, VRFish, now represents affiliated clubs, associations, allied interests and individual members.

Instead, the Statewide Recreational Fishing Roundtable operates as a stakeholders’ “forum for the exchange of ideas and the facilitation of interactions between leaders in the recreational fishing sector”. Recreational sector members participate as self-nominated volunteers, either as interested individuals or members of fishing-related clubs or associations. In the absence of a recognised peak body or an advisory body, the Roundtable members are often drawn on for consultation and advice, and as a source of members for issuespecific committees and working groups.

Previously, recreational fisheries advanced through the direct involvement of fishers through the minister’s Victorian Recreational Fishing Advisory Council, and the Amateur Fishing Consultative Committee of Victoria. With the proclamation of the Fisheries Act 1995, these arrangements were folded into the establishment of: • VRFish as the statutory peak body, officially representing all Victorian fishers (until 2007); and • the Fisheries Co-Management Council, as a ‘model’ of the emerging era of ‘co-management’, placing recreational, commercial and other sector members together in developing joint advice to the Minister on fisheries policy and management matters (until 2008). WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA’s recreational fisher consultation and advice-togovernment arrangements have been streamlined in recent years. The former Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee (RFAC) and regional RFACs have been replaced and the former Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee disbanded. In 2009, faced with differing advice from various sources, the then-Minister opted to strengthen ties with the peak body, Recfishwest. The resulting ‘co-management’ arrangement built on the consultation and advisory relationship, formalised in a funding agreement that now recognises Recfishwest’s primary role in fisheries management and policy development. This role includes representation and leadership of all WA recreational fishers and the fishing charter industry, and negotiation of ‘consensusbased solutions’ with other resource users that minimise government intervention.

Providing all WA fishers and non-fishers with the opportunity to be involved in planning and decision processes, the Government also offers a ‘public consultation’ site offering links to fisheries matters open to public comment (www.fish.wa.gov.au/ About-Us/public-comment/ Pages/default.aspx. ARFF

The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) is the peak representative body to the Australian Federal Government. Its broad objectives include fisher and community education, advocating ethical and sustainable fishing, promoting accessibility to fishing for all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Members include all state and the NT representative bodies, several national recreational fishing associations, and tackle and boating bodies.

NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA Yes Yes No Yes No See text Yes No No No No No No Yes No No No Yes

For the past two years we’ve suffered through catastrophic flooding along major parts of eastern and central Australia [1,2,3]. While 2022 flood waters in many parts of Southeast Queensland peaked lower than the devastating 2010/2011 floods, Gympie and Lismore experienced record–breaking flooding [1]. Many suburbs in Sydney are still underwater following their fourth major flood event of 2022. Massive amounts of water are moving around, filling our dams, rivers, lakes, and basins, with the Murray–Darling Basin reaching 93% capacity [4]. Many of our native fish rely on flooding to trigger breeding and use these “flood highways” to move between rivers and billabongs [5], so we should see a boom in recruitment and better fishing opportunities in the near future.

However, these are also ideal conditions for pest fish, especially the invasive Tilapia, to spread including into the Murray–Darling Basin. A recent Tilapia report near Toowoomba highlights this vulnerability, with Tilapia thought to be in Cooby Creek, downstream of Cooby Dam [6]. As Cooby Creek flows into the Murray–Darling Basin, the floodings could have provided the steppingstone Tilapia needed to invade the Basin. Extensive sampling thankfully found these reports to be false, however, we still need to be on high alert so the Murray–Darling Basin remains Tilapia free. Keeping Tilapia out of the Murray–Darling Basin by stopping the spread has been a fantastic achievement by the Stop the Spread Tilapia exclusion strategy, with 2022 marking a decade of the Tilapia education and awareness project. The Murray–Darling Basin is a national treasure, home to internationally significant wetlands, 35 endangered species, and 51 native freshwater fish species including the iconic Murray cod [7]. By keeping Tilapia out, you’re helping to protect this unique environment – healthy rivers support our people, plants, animals, and regional economies. Tilapia are a noxious pest and rank in the top 100 most invasive species worldwide [8]. Tilapia have a wide range of environmental impacts in Australia and internationally. From spreading diseases and parasites, promoting algal blooms, and damaging the banks and bottoms of rivers, Tilapia can make our waterways unliveable for our native species and less enjoyable for our own swimming, boating, and fishing [8]. Tilapia also directly impact most native fish like golden perch, silver perch, Murray cod, and freshwater catfish by eating their eggs and young, competing for food, and impacting water quality destroying aquatic vegetation and increasing turbidity [8]. Managing Tilapia populations is a complex issue with no single control method. Once established no method, including direct removal, poisoning, and restrictions on their use, have eradicated a population but have been useful in helping control current invasive populations. The best way is to stop their introduction in the first place. As recreational fishers, we all have a biosecurity responsibility to help protect our waterways from further Tilapia introductions so we can celebrate another decade of Tilapia–free Murray–Darling Basin! – Mariah Millington, Freshwater fish biologist.

Top Left: Tilapia babies in mouth - A Norris image. Top Right: Tilapia eggs in mouth – A Norris image. Below: Tilapia nests – QDAF image. Contact Map: courtesy of M Millington 2022

To protect our beautiful Murray–Darling Basin and our way of life from these impacts we need the help of our recreational fishers by stopping the spread. • Never spread or release Tilapia, dead or alive. Even releasing dead fish can spread Tilapia further, because female Tilapia carry the eggs and babies in their mouths [9]. Instead, dispose of Tilapia as soon as possible. • Humanely dispose of Tilapia in a bin or bury above the high–water mark. Tilapia eggs can survive for a long time after the adult dies and burying Tilapia below the high tide mark could wash their eggs into the waterway, creating a new generation of

Tilapia [9]. • Know how to identify Tilapia and differentiate from native fish. While most Tilapia have instantly recognisable features that are different from our natives, with bright red fin tips or black spots, some Tilapia can be more difficult to identify because of how their colours can change based on their age and their environment [10]. It’s important to be able to recognise Tilapia not just on their distinct colours, but also from their body features. These three are key: Tilapia have a continuous dorsal (upper) fin with an extended tip, a rounded caudal (tail) fin, and a long pelvic (belly) fin [10]. Report any Tilapia you see or catch to the state authorities immediately, using the appropriate phone numbers, websites, or email addresses on the Contact map below. If you’re in the Murray–Darling Basin, it’s important we see the Tilapia too, by either a photo of the fish and the location, or preferably freeze the fish with information on where and when you caught it.

Sources 1. Bureau of Meteorology 2022a, Special Climate Statement 76 – Extreme rainfall and flooding in south-eastern Queensland and eastern

New South Wales http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs76.pdf 2. Bureau of Meteorology 2022b, Special Climate Statement 75 – Australia’s wettest November on record, http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs75.pdf 3. Bureau of Meteorology 2021, Special Climate Statement 74 – extreme rainfall and flooding in eastern and central Australia in March 2021 http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs74.pdf 4. Murray-Darling Basin Authority 2022, Basin in Brief https://www.mdba.gov.au/basin-brief 5. Lintermans M 2009, Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin, https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/MDBA-Fish-species-book.pdf 6. Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2022, Talking Points- Suspected Tilapia in Cooby Creek, press release. 7. Murray-Darling Basin Authority (nd) The Murray–Darling Basin and why it’s important, https://www.mdba.gov.au/importance-murray-darling-basin 8. Hutchison M, Sarac Z, Norris A (2011) Mozambique Tilapia- The potential for Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus to invade the

Murray–Darling Basin and the likely impacts: a review of existing information 9. Business Queensland (2022), Tilapia, https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/invasive-animals/restricted/Tilapia 10. Department of Primary Industries (nd) Tilapia, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquatic-biosecurity/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/finfish-species/Tilapia Mariah receives joint programs funding from the Native Fish Demonstration Reaches project to raise awareness of the threat of Tilapia to the MDB. The joint programs are coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority to promote effective planning, management and sharing of the water and other natural resources of the Murray-Darling Basin.