VRFish Executive Officer, Ben Scullin

Well, it was back from the Christmas frying pan and into the VRFish advocacy fire.  The long break saw me chasing some XOS Southern blue spotted flathead, KGW, calamari, rock lobster and even scallops for the ultimate Christmas seafood basket. Of course, a price was paid when the kingfish and school SBT came on the day before I returned to work and the Facebook pics from mates started rolling in.

Back into the VRFish workload and there are some very important advocacy issues looming on the horizon. On the legislation front, the Animal Care and Protection Bill is expected to be debated soon, the Local Ports Management regulations get a refresh, and the Water (Recreational Area) Regulations 2023 will see a host of area management plans released for consultation. The Victorian Waterway Management Strategy draft will also pop up soon for consultation.

These all have potential issues that could impact the way we recreationally fish and VRFish will be front and centre on these as we prioritise them against our 6 pillars of advocacy: Access, Water, Habitat, Promotion, Best Practice and Support.

Speaking of priority VRFish advocacy, the hottest topic is the proposed Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) organisational reform, and in particular, the proposal to retrench 35 VFA staff. The full VRFish Board was briefed by VFA leadership on Tuesday afternoon and have been busy meeting and formulating a response ever since.

Getting updated information has been like herding cats, so Ill start with that first.

By the numbers 18%, $10M, 35, 27, 16, 9, 5, 3, 73 & 55!

The 2024/25 annual budget released for VFA was around $100M. The note from the Minister to VFA leadership not long afterwards was effectively - find cost savings of 18% annual budget, ongoing.

I can imagine that VFA leadership pulled together a committee of executives and Board members, with the number crunching heavy lifting being done by the VFA Chair, CEO and Chief Operating Officer, and the shaving + rearranging + deferring and slashing initiative, program, project and operational cost scenarios began. There would have been many scenarios. Ultimately, the Minister has signed off on one.

The proposal we are now hearing about is the final decision from VFA leadership on how to achieve the 18% annual budgetary savings and ongoing. In rough terms, the proposal includes 35 VFA staff being made redundant or approximately $10M in staff wages and on costs.  

27 of the proposed VFA staff cuts are to come from the enforcement and compliance branch, specifically Fisheries Officers from the Port Phillip region. VFA leadership has proposed that 9 new positions will be created in Port Phillip region and while theres no guarantee that all 27 affected staff will apply (through an EOI process) for the 9 new positions, some may take a redundancy package, nor is there a guarantee that any EOIs will be successful, at a minimum 16 Fisheries Officers will no longer steward the fish resources and aquatic environments of Port Phillip Region.

VFA leadership have further stated that the regional Fisheries Officer vacancies that currently exist in the rest of the State (approximately 25) will not be filled from the unsuccessful Port Phillip region Fisheries Officers. VRFish were already concerned with the number of non-staffed and single staff stations in regional Victoria.

Further, the reform proposal is to rationalise 5 current Port Phillip region Fisheries bases and open 3 new Port Phillip region Fisheries Bases. Forgetting about the hullaballoo on what names and on who for the moment, and stick with the numbers, the current 73 Fisheries Officers servicing Victoria are to be reduced to 55 Fisheries Officers Statewide. This includes a specialist investigative team of between 4 and 6 to take on the very bad boys and recidivist illegal fishers.

It's important to know that all 55 Fisheries Officers statewide will be badge carrying officers, authorised to enforce the Fisheries Act 1995 and other relevant legislation. That they are going to be called Fisheries Engagement Officers and while possibly belittling to the enforcement staff who will now have to carry an extra box of fishing guides and have 3 open to the public bases in Port Phillip region, for the purpose of facts and appreciation of the issue and especially if we want to propose solid solutions - the proposal is to have 9 authorised officers, down from 27 to service the Port Phillip region.

The question for your consideration then becomes: Is the current reform proposal - of a reduced enforcement presence - appropriate in the Port Phillip region?  

Noting that Ernst and Young (2020) The Economic Value of Recreational Fishing found over 500,000 recreational fishers cite Port Phillip region as their primary fishing destination.

What can you do to help?

Stay tuned to VRFish as well be putting out further statements and updates.

First and foremost, sign the petition linked below and write to the Hon Steve Dimopoulos Minister for Outdoor Recreation, your local State MP and Upper House representatives. Let them know who you are, why recreational fishing is important and that you want a better outcome from the VFA reform process and how.

1. The Hon Steve Dimopoulos Minister for Outdoor Recreations email and postal address is: reception.dimopoulos@deeca.vic.gov.au or Level 16, 8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne VIC 3002

2. Find your local member and upper house reps here.

3.  Sign the Petition below

If you are writing to Minister Dimopoulos you can outline any of the following:

• 9 Fisheries Officers and a small Statewide specialist investigative team is not enough to sustainably manage the fisheries resources within Port Phillip region.

   

• The risk of incentivised poaching - through a lessening of available patrolling hours and area coverage is too high. 

   

• The impact of incentivised illegal fishing will cost more than the current budgetary savings proposed.

   

• Halt the current reform process and work with all VFA staff and the relevant union to identify areas for ongoing budgetary cost savings.

   

• Reallocate as many of the proposed redundant enforcement staff into already existing Fisheries Officer vacancies across the State.

   

• Find any cost savings gaps from other portfolio areas.

   

• Recreational fishers already heavily invest in VFA enforcement through our licence fees and deserve a say on service level reductions

Lastly, VFA staff are water people like us, some are our heroes, and throughout our 30 years of operation, VRFish has worked closely alongside many of the 35 VFA staff now facing the axe. And its not just Fisheries Officers facing redundancies. Fisheries science staff, Fisheries management staff, corporate services staff are also about to be sacked. The seriousness of this outcome landing on good people and the sensitivity needed in a response means VRFish wont respond with anything other than considered opinion, advice and solutions. That takes time. Thats not to say were not angry like everyone else. Well just go into bat, and hard, for a better outcome.