Australian Recreational Fishers Party

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox political party

| name = Australian Recreational Fishers Party

| logo =

| colorcode =

| leader =

| president = Todd Lambert{{cite web |url=http://www.arfparty.org/Documents.html |title=Inaugural Executive Committee |publisher=Australian Recreational Fishers Party |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624041621/http://www.arfparty.org/Documents.html |archive-date=24 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}

| chairman =

| general_secretary =

| first_secretary =

| secretary_general =

| presidium =

| secretary = Kevin Harkins

| spokesperson =

| foundation =

| ideology = Recreational fishers' rights

| headquarters = Tasmania

| international =

| website = {{url|http://www.arfparty.org/}}

| country = Australia

}}

The Australian Recreational Fishers Party was a political party in the Australian state of Tasmania. It was created to defend recreational fishing against perceived intrusion from the commercial fishing industry, in particular to oppose the use of super trawlers such as Geelong Star in Australian waters.

The party was announced in April 2015,{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-16/tasmanian-fishers-launch-political-party-to-stop-super-trawlers/6396374 |work=ABC News |title=Australian Recreational Fishers Party planned in Tasmania to oppose to super trawlers |first=Richard |last=Baines |date=16 April 2015 |access-date=15 June 2016}} and was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in May 2016.{{cite web |url=http://aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registered_parties/aust-rec-fishers.htm |title=Australian Recreational Fishers Party |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |date=16 May 2016 |access-date=2 June 2016}} Its first and only election was the 2016 federal election, where it fielded candidates in three of the five House of Representatives seats in Tasmania, as well as two Senate candidates.{{cite web |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/election/candidates.htm |title=Candidates for the 2016 federal election |date=12 June 2016 |access-date=12 June 2016 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission}} The party polled 3.35 percent of the state-wide House of Representatives vote, the fourth-best of any party. Its best result was 6.31 percent in the Division of Lyons. However, the Senate ticket only received 0.70 percent of the state-wide vote.

On 4 July 2017, the AEC gave notice of its consideration to deregister the party under subsection 137(1)(cb) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.{{cite web |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/applications/files/2017/deregister-australian-recreational-fishers-party.pdf |title=Notice of intention to deregister Australian Recreational Fishers Party |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |date=4 July 2017 |access-date=10 July 2017}} The party's founder, ex-Labor candidate Kevin Harkins, said the process was voluntary and that the party's members felt the interests of recreational fishers would be better served by a lobby group.[http://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/australian-recreational-fishers-party-wont-run-candidates-at-the-state-election/news-story/850061d11feb150bab01b3232f71cb73 Australian Recreational Fishers Party won’t run candidates at the state election], Hobart Mercury, 31 August 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018. The deregistration occurred on 10 August 2017.[http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/files/2017-6263.pdf Notice of deregistration: Australian Recreational Fishers Party], Australian Electoral Commission.