The Minns Labor Government is acting to crackdown on illegal catches of the state’s precious seafoods such as abalone, lobster and mud crab by bolstering the compliance powers for NSW’s Fisheries Officers.
The Minns Government’s reforms will strengthen the ability of Fisheries Officers to respond to illegal fishing, disrupt black market seafood supply chains, and tackle aquatic habitat offences that threaten the long-term sustainability of NSW’s fisheries.
The Fisheries Management Amendment (Enforcement) Bill 2026 is being introduced to Parliament this week and represent the most significant modernisation of powers in some time.
The Minns Government’s reforms are critical for ensuring Fisheries Officers have the tools they need to do their jobs more effectively and safely.
The community expects that NSW has the regulatory powers required to protect our natural aquatic resources and remain fit for purpose to deter or investigate criminal activities.
After the Bill passes the new provisions will allow Fisheries Officers to:
- Act against people knowingly buying fish from illegal sellers, this will have a direct impact on dampening black-market sales
- Identify and question boat owners when their boat has been suspected to have been involved in illegal activities such a vessel observed by a fisheries drone undertaking illegal fishing
- Make it harder for illegal fishers to evade fisheries officers and empower Fisheries Officers to demand the identity of suspected offenders
- Proactively check that seafood being transported and sold by mobile seafood vendors has been sourced legally.
Along with the boosting of compliance powers the Minns Government is ensuring there are boots on the ground to protect our fisheries.
Eight Supervising and District Fisheries Officers are being recruited and a recruitment drive for a new cohort of up to 11 First Year Fisheries Officers to be stationed right across the state is underway.
The Government’s Bill will deliver the following outcomes:
- Enhance powers to address the risks posed by black market fish sales to the sustainability of fisheries resources and enhance traceability through the seafood supply chain
- Increased penalties of up to $44,000 to deter would-be offenders from stealing aquaculture stock for black market sale or damaging aquaculture infrastructure
- Improved enforcement powers and tools so Fisheries Officers can operate safely and effectively, in line with community expectations of modern natural resource regulators.
The NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty commissioned a review of the Part 9 of the Fisheries Management Act, that covers compliance and investigation powers, in response to the recommendations of an independent review of fisheries compliance powers.
The independent review was initiated in response to concerns from Fisheries Officers about their powers in relation to safety.
These new powers will enable the state to better protect the aquaculture sector which has recorded a farm gate value of $107 million, contributed almost a quarter of a billion dollars to the state economy, and supports around 2,200 jobs along our coastline.
In a separate regulation change, the Government will soon introduce of a ‘fit and proper person’ test for commercial fishing licences in line with community standards, including the completion of a National Police Check.
The fit and proper person test will allow the refusal, suspension or cancellation of a licence where an applicant or licensee has been convicted of serious indictable offences, including assaulting or intimidating a public officer, serious violence offences, fraud, offences involving criminal groups, or serious offences related to fishing activities.
