FishSmart

FishSmart is a cloud-based platform with mobile apps developed for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries (NSW DPIRD) to modernise how recreational fishers access and comply with fishing regulations throughout New South Wales. The platform consists of a custom configured Mobiconnect™ backend hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and native mobile applications for iOS and Android devices that deliver accurate, location specific fishing information to end users. 

The program serves recreational fishers across NSW by providing real time access to fishing rules, bag limits, equipment regulations, and interactive maps showing legislated fishing zones. Authorised DPIRD Fisheries staff can update geographic regions, species data, and regulations through the platform’s content management system. The solution includes optional user account functionality with personal catch logging capabilities, developed with comprehensive security privacy compliance measures The Australian Privacy Act and ISO27001. 

Fishing zone geospatial data and regulations are provided using Mobiconnect and API connections to DPIRD Fisheries MapBox platform, where Fisheries staff maintain the “source of truth” of legislation translated into geospatial data and metadata.

Mobiconnect also manages securely collecting weather and tide information from The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) APIs and published data, and sunrise/sunset and moon phase data from the Astronomy API from Time & Date. 

Since its launch in 2015, FishSmart has evolved through regular platform updates every six to eighteen months and annual mobile application upgrades, supported by ongoing maintenance and cloud hosting contracts. The mobile apps have over 350,000 downloads.

Recreational fishers in NSW previously faced significant challenges in accessing current and location specific fishing regulations. Printed guides quickly became outdated, and fishers often found themselves unsure about bag limits, size restrictions, or whether they were fishing in permitted areas. 

The complexity of NSW’s diverse fishing environments, from coastal waters to inland rivers, meant that regulations varied significantly by location and species. Fishers needed to carry multiple reference materials and often relied on outdated information, leading to unintentional compliance issues. 

Traditional methods of distributing regulatory updates were slow and inconsistent, making it difficult for both fishers and DPIRD Fisheries to ensure everyone had access to the most current information. There was no standardised way to communicate urgent updates or seasonal changes to the fishing community.

Our approach centred on creating a comprehensive digital ecosystem that would serve as the definitive source of fishing information for NSW recreational fishers. We identified several critical requirements that would make this platform truly useful in real world fishing scenarios: 

Location Intelligence: The platform needed to automatically determine a user’s location and provide relevant regulations for that specific area, eliminating guesswork and reducing compliance errors. 

Offline Functionality: Some fishing locations have limited or no mobile coverage, so the app needed to function without internet connectivity while still providing essential information. 

Real time Updates: DPIRD Fisheries staff required the ability to update regulations, maps, and species information immediately, ensuring fishers always had access to current information.

User Choice in Data Sharing: The catch logging feature needed to balance research value with privacy concerns, allowing users to maintain private records or optionally share data with DPIRD for fisheries management purposes.

We designed the solution to integrate multiple information sources into a single, authoritative platform that fishers could rely on whether they were planning a trip or actively fishing in remote locations.

The FishSmart interface was designed with the diverse needs of recreational fishers in mind, from occasional weekend anglers to serious fishing enthusiasts. The design prioritises clear information hierarchy and intuitive navigation, recognising that users often access the app in challenging conditions on boats, at dawn, or in bright sunlight. 

Key design features include: 

• Interactive mapping with clear zone boundaries and fishing area markers, powered by DPIRD Fisheries’ MapBox platform 
• Real time and location specific weather, tide, and astronomical (sunrise/sunset and moon phase) information 
• Species identification guides with visual references and regulation summaries, powered by Mobiconnect™
• Optional catch logging with privacy controls and photo capabilities, powered by Mobiconnect™ 

• Offline content organisation that mirrors the online experience 
• Social media integration for DPIRD communications and community engagement 

The interface underwent extensive testing with recreational fishers and fisheries compliance officers across different experience levels and fishing environments to ensure usability in real world conditions.

Developing FishSmart required addressing the unique challenges of serving a geographically diverse user base across NSW’s varied fishing environments while maintaining strict security and privacy standards. 

Core technical challenges included: 

• Geographic Data Management: Integrating complex legislated fishing zone boundaries with real time location services and integrating with external officially maintained geospatial and regulation data. “Single source of truth” fishing zone geospatial and regulation metadata is sourced from DPIRD Fisheries’ MapBox platform.
• Privacy Compliance: Implementing comprehensive data protection measures for Personal Identifiable Information (PII) under The Australian Privacy Act. The Mobiconnect™ platform and data security are built to ISO27001 Cyber Security Standards. 
• Content Management: Creating secure, role-based systems for authorised DPIRD staff to update regulations and geographic data, species identification, fishing rules and bag limits, and more. 

Key technical features: 

• AWS cloud infrastructure for security, scalability, and reliability 
• Secure API integration with DPIRD Fisheries geospatial databases 
• Advanced mapping capabilities with offline tile caching 
• Content Management System (CMS) with Role Based Access Control (RBAC)for regulatory and informational updates
• Encrypted data storage for catch logs and personal information 
• Push notification system for urgent regulatory updates 

The platform architecture underwent comprehensive security assessment to ensure proper Information Architecture (IA) and Solution Architecture (SA) compliance, particularly for handling personal data in the catch logging functionality. The Mobiconnect™ platform and data security are built to ISO27001 Cyber Security Standards.

FishSmart has become an essential companion for recreational fishers throughout NSW, fundamentally changing how they access and interact with fishing regulations. The platform serves diverse user groups with varying needs and technical capabilities. 

Primary user groups include: 

• Recreational Fishers: Weekend anglers and serious fishing enthusiasts seeking compliance information 
• Fishing Guides and Charter Operators: Professional guides requiring up-to-date regulations for client trips 
• DPI Fisheries Staff: Regulatory officers using the platform for compliance education and enforcement support 
• Fishing Clubs and Associations: Community groups accessing information for member education and events 

• Since the program launch in 2015, the mobile apps have over 350,000 downloads.
• Improved regulatory compliance through location specific, real time information delivery
• Reduced administrative burden on DPIRD Fisheries through automated information distribution 
• Enhanced fisheries research through optional catch data sharing 
• Stronger community engagement via integrated social media and news updates

The platform’s ongoing evolution reflects changing user needs and regulatory requirements, with regular updates incorporating feedback from both the fishing community and DPIRD Fisheries staff.

The FishSmart program is part of NSW DPIRD Fisheries’ comprehensive approach to recreational fishing management and community engagement: 

• Download FishSmart on the App Store 
• Get FishSmart on Google Play 
• NSW DPIRD Fisheries Official Website