Expanded Surveillance Powers Impact Cultural Fishing on South Coast

A NSW government proposal to grant expanded surveillance powers to fisheries officers has been criticized for potentially discriminating against Aboriginal cultural fishers on the South Coast. Furthermore, the Fisheries Management Amendment (Enforcement) Bill 2026 has not initiated the Section 21AA protections for cultural fishing, which have been dormant for 17 years. According to government figures, 58 per cent of people jailed for fisheries offenses between 2009 and 2022 were Aboriginal.

Cultural fishing is described as an important source of income and is nominally protected under NSW law. Critics, including Danny Chapman of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, warn that the expanded surveillance powers could disproportionately target Aboriginal people through activities like property searches and phone tapping.