Fishers and hunters demand licence refunds from Vic Government

Covid lockdowns have meant most fishers, hunters and boat owners have wasted money on licence fees in 2021.

Clear air: Duck hunters were restricted to a 20-day season, but still had to pay for a full year’s licence.

Fishers, hunters and boat owners’ appeals to the Andrews Government for an extension to their licences due to coronavirus restrictions have fallen on deaf ears.

Anglers have been unable to get out on the water for much of the past year, duck hunters were restricted to a 20-day season and most deer hunters were unable to escape Melbourne.

VRFish chief executive Ben Scullin said he had been inundated by members asking whether their fishing boat or marine licences would be refunded or extended due to being unable to get out on the water.

However, Fishing and Boating Minister Melissa Horne told VRFish, “we understand it’s been a difficult time and it’s frustrating not being able to travel to fish, (but) there are no refunds or extensions for fishing licenses.

“By buying a license you’re helping ensure that fishing will be better than ever when we can all get back out there.”

Mr Scullin said “it’s an issue with a lot of our rec fishers and I can see their point. Not being able to go fishing has been very hard.

“However, we have been asking the Victorian Fisheries Authority to help our locked down fishers with extra fish stocking in metropolitan lakes, to continue improving access to fisheries and to enforce the regulations and they have gone above and beyond, so we feel it’s money being put to good use”.

Game hunters gained a 12 month extension on their 2020 licences, but Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has refused another 12 month extension despite an appeal from Field and Game Australia.

“I appreciate that the COVID-19 restrictions did continue to limit game hunting opportunities in 2021, particularly for hunters in metropolitan Melbourne, however the Government is unable to provide a further extension of game licences this year,” Ms Thomas said.

“As you are aware the fees for licences are set at a specific level and partly fund the cost of regulating hunting in Victoria. Regardless of the season length, bag limits or the COVID-19 restrictions, the cost of managing a season remains the same.

“For the 2021 season, the Game Management Authority and partner agencies, including Victoria Police patrolled both public lands and private properties during the 2021 duck season and GMA Authorised Officers checked 668 Game Licences and 487 hunter bags”.

But Field and Game Australia chief executive Dean O’Hara contrasted the government’s refusal to extend game licences with its willingness to throw money at lawyers to defend its own failings.

“They’ve knocked us back on affordability, yet they can spend tens of millions on legal costs for the Premier and his ministers in the Coates (hotel quarantine) inquiry,” Mr O’Hara said.

Earlier this year the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee heard the Andrews Government had spent $7.7 million on lawyers to defend its actions, $2m more than the cost of actually running the inquiry in to why hotel quarantine breaches occured, leading to the deaths of more than 800 Victorians.