Fishermen might have to fish ‘n’ chip in for licence if proposed funding cuts go forward

RECREATIONAL fishing licences may have to be introduced because the Territory’s peak fishing body looks set to have its NT Government funding slashed.

Vincent Hore from Parap stopped by Fort Hill Wharf for a quick fish before picking up his girlfriend and caught this 63cm barramundi.

RECREATIONAL fishing licences may have to be introduced because the Territory’s peak fishing body looks set to have its NT Government funding slashed.

The head of the Amateur Fishermen’s Association NT, Craig Ingram, yesterday said if cuts were made the NT Government would need to consider introducing fishing permits as an alternative funding stream back into the sector.

Recreational fishermen are a powerful lobby group in the Territory, with amateur fishing becoming a major issue during the 2012 election.

While fishing licences are mandatory in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, they would likely be met with a backlash from recreational fishers if introduced in the NT. Money raised from fishing licences – which range from $24 a year – is pumped back into fishing infrastructure in other jurisdictions.

Mr Ingram said the NT Government needed to “honour its election commitment” to maintain AFANT’s $200,000-a-year base funding – or enable the group to seek funds from recreational fishermen to reinvest into the sector.

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He said if the Government wanted NGO membership to fund peak body groups, then fishing licences needed to be another option.

“They can’t have it both ways,” Mr Ingram said. “We have limited capacity to raise funds ... so we remind the Government they made an election commitment to maintain funding to us to do our job.” Treasurer Dave Tollner made the funding cut threat during a contentious talkback session with the Environment Centre’s Stuart Blanch on Mix 104.9 FM’s Pete Davies show.

During the heated exchange, Mr Tollner called the Environment Centre a “pack of greenie lefties” who opposed everything except for “tofu”. It began when he tried to justify Government operational funding cuts to the Environment Centre, saying all representative organisations would now need to submit for individual project funding instead.

“We fund industry organisations to do projects ... we don’t have to provide funding to a pack of greenie lefties. We are winding back all grant funding to most representative organisations,” he said.

When presenter Pete Davies asked if the NT Government gave funding to AFANT, Mr Tollner said, “I am not sure of that, Pete, it’s in a different portfolio, but my view will be if we are funding AFANT we’ll certainly be winding it back.”

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