Why NSW’s one million anglers are celebrating latest move by Government

Recreational fishing in New South Wales has received a further boost with the introduction of five new Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) along the state’s coastline.

The man-made structures are used to attract a wide variety of sport fish, including marlin, tuna and mahi-mahi. State member for the South Coast, Shelley Hancock, said this latest benefit for the recreational fishing industry by the NSW Government takes the total number of FADs from 30 to 35.

“They are a fantastic way to attract various fish species,” said Hancock. “The NSW Government is committed to giving our recreational fishers great opportunities, so we’ve got these devices bobbing from the Tweed all the way down to Eden. Every year anglers pay their licence fees, which go into the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust, which in turn is reinvested into many initiatives, of which the FAD programme is a great example.

“NSW is home to about one million annual anglers and the industry contributes about $3.4 billion in economic activity each year, so it is crucial we continue to support it with these initiatives.”

The new FADs are at Port Stephens, Sydney, Hat Head, Jervis Bay and Bermagui, the last three of which have never had them before. They are deployed between six and 32 kilometres offshore. Fishers can keep up-to-date on FAD deployments, coordinates and responsible fishing tips via the NSW DPI website, or by using the FishSmart app.