Aquaculture Licencing for Aquaponics activites - Do I need one.

[Jonty]

Murray,

I have read the legislation from Qld Fisheries and as I do not sell the fish the legislation does not apply to me. I was a police officer for 34 years and had read heaps of legislation as I had to know it to do my job. You cannot take legislation and try to make an interpretation to suit a particular circumstance. If you do not conform to the term "AQUACULTURE" the the Act does not apply. End of story.

I do not have a roof over my tanks, only shade cover and rainwater can enter. But I am not stupid as I have overflows at the top of the tanks to vent off excess water. These overflows have a mesh screen to stop any fish getting out and are 20 mm in diameter. (Need to be a ****** small fish!)

[organicusrex]

Well stated Jonty and dead on!

It's imperative to know your limitations, authority and freedoms. :)

Cheers!

[jpcw]

In WA you only need a license for commercial use. It specifically states you do not need a license for personal use OR hobby use. With hobby use you CAN make some income from the fish however this cannot be substantial, you also can’t do things like use an ABN or register for GST etc. In other words it would be ok to sell a few fish to cover some of your costs but it would not be ok to claim materials on your tax etc. From the ATO’s point of view it would be a hobby business if the total sales were less than $20,000 PA however fisheries limit may be lower.