New South Wales Fishing Licences and Restrictions

In New South Wales you may be required to pay a Recreational Fishing Fee to fish in the State's waters. There are also several restrictions in place that you must honour regarding the minimum size a fish must be to be taken from NSW waters and the number of fish you may take per day.

When fishing in NSW you are required to have paid a Recreational Fishing Fee unless you:

* Are an aboriginal person fishing in fresh water

* Are an aboriginal person fishing in salt water who is part of a registered native title claim, partaking in a traditional cultural activity in the company of or as a local land council member

* Are assisting a person under the age of 18 with a single rod or a single scoop net

* Fishing in a private dam of 2 hectares or less under the age of 18

You may also be exempt for the fishing fee if you are the holder of a:

* Centrelink pensioner's concession card

* Commonwealth Veteran Affair gold treatment card endorsed 'Extreme Disablement Adjustment' and/or 'Totally and Permanently Incapacitated'

* Department of Veteran Affair's commonwealth pensioner's card

* Letter from the Department of Veteran Affairs declaring that you receive 70% or higher disability/intermediate pension

Fishing fees range from $6 to $75 depending on the length of time you wish to fish in the area. There are a number of stores where you can pay the fee including caravan parks, service stations, fishing tackle stores etc. The fees go towards improving recreational fishing in NSW through various projects and trusts.

There are restrictions on the number of fish you may take each day and the minimum size that a fish must be to take from the water. These restrictions vary based on the type of fish and the season. You should consult the NSW fisheries or ring your local fisheries office to confirm the current legal requirements before your fishing trip.

The following are some general rules regarding recreational fishing in NSW:

* Any fishing rods/lines must be within 10 metres of you and in sight and should have no more than 2 hooks per line

* Any set lines must be tagged with your name, address and boat registration number and contain only one hook.

* Do not take crayfish with eggs from freshwater or remove eggs from a crayfish

* Set lines should be checked frequently throughout the day, preferably every hour, to release any small fish or animals that may get caught.

* Explosives, poisons or chemicals may not be used to obtain fish from fresh water.

* Recreational fishers may not sell the fish they catch

* When fishing in NSW dams you are permitted up to two attended lines but no set lines

* When Rock Fishing always be in a group of 3 or more people, wear appropriate footwear, tell others of your plans and have access to an angel ring or life buoy to throw if someone gets washed in.

* You may not use live finfish, frogs, live birds, live mammals or trout as bait

* You may not use spearguns, bows and arrows, firearms or spears to catch fish from freshwater in NSW

Note: The information on this page is provided as a guide only and fishing rules can change. It is recommended that you visit the Department of Primary Industries website for the most up to date information.

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