VMS Rule Changes

Commercial fishing boats King Island 

​Proposed rule changes to the Fisheries Rules 2019 are now open for public comment.

The proposed amendments apply to commercial fishing and include:

  • Enabling the Department to receive vessel monitoring system (VMS) data using mobile networks, resulting in better management of VMS airtime costs.
  • Improving administration of the NRE Tas VMS program by enabling it to require VMS to be used on vessels by issuing a published notice.
  • Enabling commercial fishing supervisors to seek authorisation from a Fisheries Officer to continue fishing, subject to terms and conditions, if their approved VMS unit stops working while undertaking a fishing trip.
  • Requiring supervisors to ensure that a means of communication is carried, maintained and available for communication on the vessel while being used for fishing. This ensures the supervisor can be contacted in the event that their VMS unit stops working.
  • Enabling the Department to provide approval for the supervisor to switch off the approved VMS under a broader range of circumstances.

Consultation documents

 VMS Rules Amendments - Fact Sheet 

 VMS Rules Amendments - Frequently Asked Questions 

 Draft Legislation - Fisheries Amendment Vessel Monitoring Systems Rules 2023

More information

Fisheries Rules 2019 - Current rules
Vessel Monitoring Systems in Tasmanian fisheries

How to make a submission

You are invited to provide feedback on the draft Fisheries Amendment (Vessel Monitoring Systems) Rules 2023.

All submissions on the Fisheries Amendment (Vessel Monitoring Systems) Rules 2023 must be in writing and received by 13 October 2023.

Submissions can be sent to:

​Email:MarineCompliance@nre.tas.gov.au
Mail:Fisheries Compliance and Licensing Branch, GPO Box 44, HOBART TAS 7001


Other than indicated below, submissions will be treated as public information and will be published here on our website once consideration of the submissions has concluded.   

No personal information other than an individual’s name or the organisation making a submission will be published. 

For further information, please contact: Mark Gibson / Senior Fisheries Officer (VMS) by email mark.gibson@nre.tas.gov.au or phone on 0429 105 921. 


Accessibility of submissions
The Government recognises that not all individuals or groups are equally placed to access and understand information. We are therefore committed to ensuring Government information is accessible and easily understood by people with diverse communication needs.

Where possible, please consider typing your submission in plain English and providing it in a format such as Microsoft Word or equivalent. The Government cannot however take responsibility for the accessibility of documents provided by third parties.

Important information
Your name (or the name of the organisation) will be published unless you request otherwise.
In the absence of a clear indication that a submission is intended to be treated as confidential (or parts of the submission), the Department will treat the submission as public. 

If you would like your submission treated as confidential, whether in whole or in part, please indicate this in writing at the time of making your submission clearly identifying the parts of your submission you want to remain confidential and the reasons why. In this case, your submission will not be published to the extent of that request.

Copyright in submissions remains with the author(s), not with the Tasmanian Government. 

The Department will not publish, in whole or in part, submissions containing defamatory or offensive material. If your submission includes information that could enable the identification of other individuals then either all or parts of the submission will not be published.

The Right to Information Act 2009 and confidentiality
Information provided to the Government may be provided to an applicant under the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI). If you have indicated that you wish all or part of your submission to be treated as confidential, your statement detailing the reasons may be taken into account in determining whether or not to disclose the information in the event of an RTI application for assessed disclosure. You may also be contacted to provide any further comment.


    Contact

    Fisheries Compliance and Licensing Branch
    Level 1, 134 Macquarie Street
    GPO Box 44
    HOBART TAS 7001
    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550
    Email: fisheries.licensing@nre.tas.gov.au

    Hotline

    Fishwatch Report illegal fishing

    0427 655 557

    What to report? arrow button

    Contact us

    Recreational Fishing

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    Hobart TAS 7000

    Phone: (03) 6165 3233, 1300 720 647

    Email: fishing.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: commercial.fisheries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries Licensing

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: fishing.licensing@nre.tas.gov.au