Recreational Fishing Industry Development Strategy
Minister Burke Announces New Australian Government Initiative - The Recreational Fishing Roundtable
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, has announced a new initiative, The Recreational Fishing Roundtable. This will provide meetings which will be held quarterly and bring leaders from the recreational fishing sector together to meet with Minister Burke.
The Recreational Fishing Roundtable was created in response to requests from the sector and recommendations from the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC). It provides a platform for recreational fishers to communicate directly with the Australian Government and work together to deal with issues facing the recreational fishing sector.
Overview
A 2007 election commitment of the Australian Government is to prepare a Recreational Fishing Industry Development Strategy (RFIDS) that will include a review the 1994 National Recreational Fishing Policy.The strategy is a $2 million, three year election commitment to the recreational fishing industry, to improve the Australian recreational fishing experience.
State and territory governments are responsible for the day-to-day management of recreational fisheries. This includes the recreational components of some Commonwealth managed commercial fisheries i.e. game fishing.
The Commonwealth has an important stewardship role in the development and implementation of a national strategy and policy review in regard to recreational fishing.
The strategy will provide opportunities for the recreational fishing industry to:
- advise the minister on the review of the 1994 National Recreational Fishing Policy and the development of the RFIDS
- advise the minister on specific initiatives that encourage the promotion of sustainable fishing, education and awareness for children and angler communities, together with best practice environmental standards for recreational fishing
- work closely with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation to invest in leadership training and education and awareness campaigns for the recreational fishing industry.
Widespread consultation with the recreational fishing sector will also feature in the development and implementation processes.
Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee
Latest news from the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC)
- The RFAC has now completed widespread consultation with the recreational fishing sector and The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Tony Burke MP announced the release of the Recreational Fishing in Australia – 2010 and Beyond discussion paper
PDF [1.2mb] 
Word [1.4mb]. Minister Burke also announced that he would support a project to assist in scoping and implementing a co-ordinated national data collection for recreational fishing in Australia.
The period for provision of submissions on the discussion paper to the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee have now closed. The Committee is now considering the input provided.
The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC)
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Tony Burke MP announced members of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee in a media release on 5 February 2009.