Recfishwest Policy
General Fin Fish Licenses

Recfishwest supports an extension of the recreational licence system to cover all recreational fishing.

There are three principal reasons for this extension.

1. The management of a fishery, particularly monitoring the catch, is easier and in some cases may only be practical if the participants in the fishery are known and can be sampled for data.

2. Fishing pressure is becoming heavier due to increasing population and improving fishing technology and additional resources are needed to sustainably manage the fish resources. Continuing increases in funding from general revenue cannot be expected because of a wide range of other community priorities.

3. Recreational fishers want to participate in the management of the fish resource on which they depend, particularly as Integrated Fisheries Management allocates shares to the recreational sector. The contribution of licence fees will strengthen their ability to participate effectively.

This support is conditional upon the following principles:-

• A guarantee that additional licence income would not be used to reduce the real level of government contributions from general revenue.

• Agreement on adequate recreational fisher participation in decision making on the use of licence income revenue.

• A continuation of the current practice under the Fish Resources Management Act of funding of a peak recreational fishing body from licence income, to allow adequate recreational fisher participation in consultation with government and cooperative management of recreational fishing through a peak body.

• The basic licence should be endorsed to clearly identify intended participation in specific fisheries.

• Consideration would be given for some licence relief for some of the community such as children and seniors.


This policy adopted at the Recfishwest Board Meeting 11 February 2009.



This page last updated on 19 February 2009.