Persons or businesses intending to provide charter boat fishing services must obtain a licence. No new licences are being issued, however, licences may be transferred from existing charter boat fishing services.
Charter boat fishing means recreational fishing undertaken from a boat that is being used under an arrangement where money (or some other consideration) is paid for the right to fish from that boat.
A boat will be taken to be used for charter boat fishing even if recreational fishing activities are not the sole or primary purpose for which the boat is being used. For example, a dive charter operator or a shark/whale viewing charter operator will require a Charter Boat Fishery Licence if passengers participate in recreational fishing and/or take fish during the charter trip.
All boats used in charter boat fishing activity must also be registered on the Charter Boat Fishery Licence. To operate as a charter fishing boat, a boat must have a valid Certificate of Survey as a Class 1 or Class 2 boat issued by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
A registered boat must always be in the charge of a registered master who is endorsed on the licence. An application for registration of a person as the master of a boat used pursuant to a licence must be made on the approved form to the Executive Director Fisheries & Aquaculture.
