Three-day NSW fishing licence from the Evans Head Visitor Information Centre, located at 17 Kirkland Court and need to be acquired for both saltwater and freshwater fishing.
‘Anyone over the age of 18 needs to pay a recreational fishing fee and carry the receipt showing proof of payment in order to legally fish in either freshwater or saltwater,’ said a spokesperson for Richmond Valley Council (RVC).
‘This applies even if you’re just spearfishing, collecting bait or hand lining, as it is still considered recreational fishing. It doesn’t matter whether you are a professional angler or an amateur; everyone who fishes recreationally must have a valid licence.’
Recreational fishing licences issued by other states, territories or countries are not valid for fishing in NSW waters. All visitors must pay the NSW fee. Fishing without a licence could result in an on-the-spot fine of $200 or a maximum fine of $2,200.
Exemptions
There are some exemptions that include if you are:
- under the age of 18;
- an adult assisting a person under the age of 18 to take a fish using a single rod or to take prawns using a single dip or scoop net;
- a person fishing in a private dam with a surface area of two hectares or less;
- an Aboriginal person.
The holder of a:
- current pensioner concession card issued by Centrelink;
- current pensioner concession card issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs;
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Gold Card printed with TPI;
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Gold Card printed with EDA;
- letter or statement from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs stating the person receives a Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 Disability Compensation Payment at the 70 percent rate or higher, or is eligible for Special Rate Disability Pension under the Military Rehabilitation And Compensation Act 2004.
Note that Seniors’ cards, Health care cards and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran White Cards will not exempt you from paying the fishing fee.
The Evans Head Visitor Information Centre is open 8.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-1pm Saturday and Sunday.
‘Make sure to bring along some form of identification such as a driver’s licence or passport so staff can verify who you are before issuing your fishing permit,’ said the RVC spokesperson.
‘If you own a smartphone you can link your fishing fee receipt with the Service NSW app. Fees collected from NSW fishing licences are reinvested back into fisheries research, management and monitoring programs. This helps keep our rivers, creeks and estuaries healthy for both the fish species which inhabit them and the recreational fishers who enjoy them.’
For more information on fishing in NSW waters, visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
