​The purpose of this paper is to outline the present organisation, and possible future direction, of fishing in NSW, both on a commercial and recreational level, with particular reference to proposals for reorganisation envisaged by the state government in its Fisheries Management Bill 1994. 

The early section of the paper looks at the present structure of fishing and the emergence of factors which have led to the government's present concern with restructuring, while the later section examines proposals formulated under the Greiner and Fahey governments for the future direction of the industry and an outline of the Bill.