Thursday, 15 August 2024

Recreational fishing

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (01:57): (1065) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Agriculture, and it relates to the threat to fishing competitions under the exposure draft of the Animal Care and Protection Bill. The action I seek from the minister is to publicly guarantee that fishing competitions will be exempt in these new laws. A simple drafting change by you, Minister, will exempt fishing events and ensure that these fishing competitions will continue on as they have in the past. Victoria has over 300 angling clubs, and they could be caught up in these proposed fines if this anomaly is not fixed. There are over 300,000 Victorians that seek fishing licences annually, and fishing is a universal practice that families of all ages and all abilities enjoy. What part 5, division 8, of this exposure draft does not have is an exemption for these fishing events, as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 does. Furthermore, the people who will be implementing and overseeing these prosecutions are the RSPCA, a known anti-fishing organisation.

Fishing is a traditional pursuit that has been around since the dawn of time, and it represents very few barriers. You can fish from a jetty, you can go out on charters and you can go boat fishing. It is very much something that happens in my electorate, to the great enjoyment of many people. It could well be that anyone who organises a fishing competition or promotes or participates in one could be up for these prosecutions under this particular law. I am assuming, Minister, that your department has either been ignorant or innocent in its blunder or has intentionally put those restrictions on people’s rights. As I have said, recreational fishing is well used and well loved in this community and this state. So I call on the minister to back our recreational anglers, like the Nationals do, to ensure that this clause that is not in there at the minute – the exemption – is put into this bill moving forward and to tell people straightaway.

The PRESIDENT: Sorry, you cannot call for legislation in an adjournment matter, but if you want a different action –

Melina BATH: President, what I am calling for is the minister to guarantee that fishing competitions will continue.

The PRESIDENT: We will send it to a minister to make sure that that action goes to the appropriate minister.