VFA ignorant of anglers’ take as it cuts fisheries enforcement officers

The Allan Government is sacking fisheries enforcement officers, without knowing how many fish recreational anglers harvest.

The Allan Government is sacking fisheries officers, without knowing how many fish recreational anglers catch, which is crucial to sustaining populations of snapper (pictured), King George whiting and other popular species.

The Allan Government is gutting the number of fisheries enforcement officers it employs from 69 to 36, without knowing how many fish recreational anglers harvest each year.

While other states and territories engage in regular surveys, the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s latest reviews of recreational take of snapper, bream, whiting and other key species date back to 2010 or earlier.

The VFA’s most recent reviews of Victoria’s premium recreational snapper and King George whiting fisheries simply states: “there is no recent information on recreational harvest or effort”.

Recreational fishing lobby group VRFish chief executive Ben Scullin asked: “How can we manage for sustainability, the objective of the Fisheries Act 1995?”.

“When we add the proposed reduction in science, compliance and enforcement staff. It’s mission impossible.”

The last counts on the recreational snapper take in the western fishery, which extends from Wilsons Promontory to South Australia, was undertaken in 2010, showing anglers were harvesting up to five times the number of fish of the commercial sectors.

Recreational take of snapper (in green) have not been measured since 2010.

In the Eastern Zone, from the Prom to NSW border, the review states: “recreational catch estimates in 2000/01 and 2006/07 indicated catches were in the order of around 30 t/year, but anecdotal information suggests that increased fishing pressure on spawning aggregations close to Lakes Entrance is an emerging issue among local stakeholders”.

Eastern Zone snapper landings, from the Prom to NSW border, show the last survey of recreational take was undertaken in 2006-07.

Despite the uncertainty over recreational harvesting the Government has signed off on cutting frontline fisheries officers positions by 48 per cent and sacking stock assessment staff, which anglers fear will lead to higher levels of illegal take.

Up until now fisheries officers have played a crucial role in keeping a lid on offences, with the 2023-24 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account showing VFA officers made contact with 49,818 fishers, of which 10 per cent were found to have committed offences ranging from possessing undersized fish and exceeding catch limits to selling fish caught recreationally.

Former Fisheries Victorian manager and consultant Ross Winstanley said slashing the number of fisheries officers would lead to a surge in the black market for seafood and even lead to crime rings getting involved, given the high value of seafood.

Just how lucrative the illegal trade in seafood has become can be seen in the Australian Bureau of Statistics seafood pricing index, which rose 15.8 per cent in the three years to December 2024.

VRFish also fears the VFA staff cutbacks will undo Victorian taxpayers’ $46 million investment in the Target One Million scheme, half of which went to buying out commercial fishing licences in Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes.

“This VFA proposal will undo all the time and money we’ve invested into recreational fishing,” Mr Scullin said.

“It will also cost more to fix than the proposed annual savings to the VFA budget ”.

Environment and Outdoor Recreation Minister Steve Dimopoulos was asked how he could cut the number of fisheries officers, without knowing the recreational take, especially given the government’s commitment to the sustainability of the state’s fisheries.

The minister’s office responded by stating “we thank fisheries officers for their work - Victoria has the best fishing in Australia and the Victorian Fisheries Authority is making sure that continues.”

Mr Dimopoulos’ official statement of expectations demand “the VFA’s primary objective of sustainably managing Victoria’s aquatic resources is met, (and) I expect periodic updates on the status of key Victorian fish stocks to be prepared and made publicly available”.

“I also expect that existing marine, freshwater and aquaculture management plans continue to be implemented and routinely reviewed and for the VFA to develop new fishery management plans and strategies as the need arises. I expect the VFA to continue to increase the awareness and understanding that all Victorians have a part to play in achieving sustainable and responsible use of Victoria’s fisheries resources.”