RETIRED Chief Fisheries Officer Kevin Brown has voiced strong concerns over the ‘proposed’ restructuring of the Victoria Fisheries Authority (VFA), warning that cuts to fisheries compliance officers could lead to disastrous consequences for the state's marine resources and the fishing industry.
Brown, who served for decades in various roles within fisheries, including as the Chief Fisheries Officer, argues that the move is politically motivated and budget-driven, and that it will ultimately open the door to illegal fishing, organised crime, and a decline in sustainable fisheries management.
Brown’s comments come in response to the Victorian government's plan to replace fisheries officers with a new team of "engagement officers" focused on education rather than enforcement. According to Brown, this shift is not just misguided—it is an abandonment of the essential compliance framework that has kept the state's fisheries in a sustainable condition for years.
In an interview with the Sentinel-Times, Brown expressed disbelief when he first heard about the changes, suspecting the decision to be part of a cost-saving initiative driven by a lack of understanding from those in power. “There's no way this can be explained as anything other than a politically motivated cost-saving exercise by people who don’t know what they’re doing and don’t know they don’t know,” Brown said.
During his time in fisheries, Brown was responsible for overseeing fisheries compliance across the state, including managing teams of officers who monitored fishing activities to ensure sustainable practices. He said that the current proposal would dismantle a highly successful enforcement framework, leaving the fisheries vulnerable to exploitation.
The key issue, according to Brown, is that fisheries officers are integral to the detection and prevention of illegal fishing practices, which include poaching and unsustainable fishing methods that can deplete critical marine resources such as abalone and rock lobster. These species are highly valued, and Brown fears that organised crime groups will exploit the lack of oversight.
“The crazy thing is that the crime unit that they say is going to be running—that’s been running for 35 years—that’s already in existence, and it’s downsized,” Brown said. “Those people are desk-bound analysts. They work on information provided to them by fisheries officers across the state on the ground. They’re the eyes and ears of the organisation.”
Brown pointed out that the state's existing compliance network has been in place for decades, with officers working on the ground to gather intelligence, spot trends, and take enforcement action. Information gathered by fisheries officers is analysed by a specialised team of analysts who then work with officers to carry out operations. This system has been essential in maintaining the health of the state's fisheries.
The proposal to replace enforcement officers with engagement officers who will focus on educating the public, Brown argues, will do little to combat illegal activities or catch serious offenders. “People will break the law if they know they won’t be caught,” Brown said, explaining that those who break the rules for financial gain will increasingly see little risk in doing so. “It will go from 44 boats poaching in marine parks to 440,” Brown warned as an example.
Brown’s decades of experience have led him to a clear understanding of how compliance programs must be structured to work effectively. He stresses that any successful compliance program requires three key components: clear rules, the genuine threat of apprehension, and penalties for non-compliance. Without these elements in place, he argues, the entire compliance system collapses.
The Victorian government’s proposed changes, according to Brown, will remove the critical enforcement element, leaving the program reliant on education alone. While he agrees that education is important, he argues it can never replace the need for enforcement. “People may go into the shop front, and I have no problem with education. It’s a normal part of a compliance program,” he said. “But if you take away any one of those three components, you don’t have a compliance program.”
Brown also questioned the logic behind the government's claim that 90% of fishers in Victoria are compliant with regulations, suggesting that these numbers are inflated and fail to account for the more serious offenders who engage in organised, large-scale illegal fishing. “Out of that 10%, a small percentage genuinely don’t know they’re breaking the law, but most are fully aware they’re doing the wrong thing and choose to break the law because there’s a financial benefit,” he explained.
Brown also has concern for those financially distressed by these ‘proposed’ cuts, particularly for the officers who are at risk of losing their jobs. With many of these officers having years, if not decades, of experience in fisheries management, the loss of their expertise will be a blow to the state’s ability to maintain sustainable fishing practices. Not to mention the financial strain on families of officers who could face job loss amid a cost-of-living crisis.
“Many of these officers have mortgages, families, and they’ve dedicated their lives to protecting Victoria’s marine resources. Now they’re being told their jobs no longer exist,” Brown said. He described the situation as devastating for individuals and families who have built careers in the fisheries sector.
Brown too spoke on the long-term impact on Victoria’s marine conservation efforts, particularly in light of commitments made by the government to the abalone and rock lobster industries. He pointed out that when marine parks were introduced, fishers were promised that they would receive financial compensation in exchange for losing access to fishing areas. In return, they were guaranteed a fully funded compliance program to ensure the sustainability of the remaining fishery areas. The proposed cuts, Brown argued, directly undermine these commitments and threaten the viability of these industries.
Without enforcement officers, Brown warned, there will be no way to monitor the sustainability of catches, particularly for high-value species like rock lobster, which are heavily sought after on the global market.
“There is the potential for irreversible damage,” he said. Including the matter of safety issues, such as the failure to inspect life jackets, which could lead to fatalities.