Do agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses need to hold AFMA Commonwealth fishing permit?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you fish commercially in a Commonwealth-managed fishery. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Hold AFMA Commonwealth fishing permit. Commercial fishing in Commonwealth-managed fisheries is authorised by Commonwealth fishing concessions (statutory fishing rights, fishing permits and quota) issued by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) under the Fisheries Management Act 1991. AFMA publishes the concession holders and the general and SFR conditions for each fishery, from the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery and Northern Prawn Fishery to the tuna, sub-Antarctic and Torres Strait fisheries, and sets a total allowable catch for each quota species each season.
Trigger: Commercial fishing in a Commonwealth-managed fishery, including the Australian Fishing Zone and high seas fisheries managed under international arrangements, or nominating a boat to a Commonwealth concession.
Why agriculture, forestry & fishing get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 33 of those industries the answer for "Hold AFMA Commonwealth fishing permit" is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of the 2 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses: Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing; applies only if you fish commercially in a Commonwealth-managed fishery.
About the industry: Primary producers covered by the Pastoral Award and biosecurity / chemical use regulation.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in agriculture, forestry & fishing with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Concession held before fishing and conditions complied with for each season. VMS on at all times. Logsheets completed during the trip and original logsheets returned to AFMA within 3 calendar days of the trip ending (with the catch disposal record in quota fisheries). E-logs required for operators fishing 50 or more days in the current or previous season, those with electronic monitoring, and line fishers in the Eastern and Western Tuna and Billfish fisheries.
- Evidence to keep
- Current concessions and the fishery's general or SFR conditions; boat nominations; VMS type-approval and any Temporary Switch Off approvals; logbooks or e-logs and retained duplicate logsheets; catch disposal records; quota holdings and reconciliation records; observer placement records; authorised agent registrations.
- Maximum penalty
- Failure to have a working VMS is an offence. Compliance with concession conditions, logbook, observer and quota requirements is monitored through AFMA's domestic compliance program, satellite monitoring of fishing boats and compliance inspections
- Regulator
- AFMA
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where agriculture, forestry & fishing differ from the norm
- EPBC Act — assess + approve controlled actions affecting MNES: Only if
- Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (now mandatory): Only if
- Maintain Hazardous Chemicals Register + manifest (WHS Reg): Yes
- Notify + remediate contaminated land (state): Only if
- On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting: Yes
- Animal Welfare Standards + Guidelines — Land Transport of Livestock: Only if
- All 15 answers for agriculture, forestry & fishing
Questions
- Do agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses need to hold AFMA Commonwealth fishing permit?
- Only if you fish commercially in a Commonwealth-managed fishery. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 33 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of 2 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.