Need help, illegal in victoria ?

[Fillip]

Hey there, i need some help as im 1 confused person at the moment!

So i have myself a compound bow and wish to start BowFishing, ive read on some forums about people bowfishing etc, but yet i asked some government website if bowfishing is legal and this was there response!

Thank you for your recent enquiry to the Department of Environment and Primary Industries - Customer Service Centre.

The Department's response is:-

The use of any firearm to take fish in any Victorian waters is prohibited. This includes bows and cross bows.

Firearms: You must not use or possess these in, on or next to Victorian waters, including private waters.

The Fisheries Act has no jurisdiction over hunting and the prohibition on the use of firearms under fisheries regulations relates only to the use of firearms to take fish.

See Regulation 106 (implemented on 2nd March 2009).

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So, is bowfishing legal in victoria ?

[aussie123]

Always has been illegal for as many years as I can remember.

[Fillip]

Always has been illegal for as many years as I can remember.

But from what some people have told me, its only illegal in freshwater ?

[aussie123]

The law that you posted up is correct from memory.

It has always been illegal to shoot any fish with a firearm.

I think you can use a spear gun in saltwater and maybe on snorkel only.you would need to check that one though as its been many years since I have needed to follow Vic laws and many things have changed over he years.

[Fillip]

The law that you posted up is correct from memory.

It has always been illegal to shoot any fish with a firearm.

I think you can use a spear gun in saltwater and maybe on snorkel only.you would need to check that one though as its been many years since I have needed to follow Vic laws and many things have changed over he years.

But a compound bow isnt a firearm, thats why you dont need a license to own one, no ?

[Binder]

No you cant, because although a compound (or long) bow does not require a licence, it is still classed as a weapon, as you can not display or use a weapon in a public place, you cant use it for fishing, as waterways are a public place.

[Bommie]

Don't know about Vic. I still think it is a no go, but in Qld. they come under the same law as spearfishing, where you can spearfish you can bowfish. There are heaps of bowfishers all over Aus.

/>http://www.bowhunting-forum.com/showthread.php?7396-Bowfishing

[Gad]

In your position I would send an email off to the relevant authourity seeking a yes or no, on the question

www.depi.vic.gov.au/fishing

Bows are not included in their ‘permitted use of equipment’ list in marine waters,either. No mention of bows permitted in the hand/speargun areas either...

/>http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/recreational-fishing/equipment

You must not use or possess these in, on or next to Victorian waters, including private waters.

Explosives, firearms and bows and arrows cannot be used to take, attempt to take, injure or destroy fish…..end of quote from above link

[Binder]

Yeah, people forget about how your allowed to catch fish, EG in QLD, if you catch a fish in a crab pot you are required to let it go, because it is not an approved method of catching fish.

[Gad]

same rules apply if you net a regulated legal sized fish in a castnet