The Department of Fisheries’ $62.7million budget spending for Western Australia’s fisheries, rose from $59.9million in 2009-10, includes an additional $2million to help carry out a range of compliance, education and other recreational fishing initiatives. According to Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the funds would help employ an additional 13 Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs), to boost the ranks of the State’s compliance officers.
He further said that the additional FMOs will give the Fisheries Department scope to establish an additional six land-based mobile patrols, equipped to go on extended trips to remote areas. The Minister said the introduction of a new recreational fishing licence structure, including the new boat fishing licence taken up by more than 48,000 recreational fishers, would provide additional funding for recreational fishing. He informed that the recreational licences will raise $4.9million in 2010-11.
Moore opined that all funds raised by the new licensing regime will only be spent on recreational fishing initiatives, with input from stakeholders representing recreational fishers. He added that Department of Fisheries research activities will focus on baseline research and ongoing monitoring in and around the sanctuary zones. The Minister said $4million of the Budget announced today would help secure WA’s offshore fisheries compliance through the building of a new vessel, to replace the department’s ageing long-range patrol boat, the PV Walcott.
