joining the PFIGA	Download application form

Membership of the PFIGA is open to anyone who is in business in Australia as a professional fishing instructor or guide and can satisfy the requirements of our accreditation process. The PFIGA exists for three primary reasons:

• To represent the views of professional fishing guides and instructors.

• To provide an accreditation process for fishing guides.

• To provide a range of membership benefits to reduce business costs.

In both NSW and Victoria, the PFIGA is now recognised by most industry organisations and government bodies as representing professional guides.

The association executive has been active for several years in discussions with government departments and ministers to ensure that the views and needs of professional guides receive due consideration when policies and regulations are formulated. However, a larger membership will enhance our position in this regard, so your decision to join and swell our numbers can have a direct influence on future rules and regulations affecting your ability to carry on your business.

The PFIGA logo and our various promotional activities have had success in establishing a "brand" recognised by the public. Increasingly, accreditation is expected by people before they do business with anyone. As the PFIGA brand continues to gain acceptance and recognition, those who are unable to display it will find their business suffering. In purely monetary terms, the cost of joining the PFIGA can be recouped many times over by reducing your business costs through group discounts available to members. The association now has sponsors offering members significant discounts on all kinds of fishing tackle and associated products.

Joining the PFIGA isn't difficult if you're a professional fishing instructor or guide. First step is to contact the recruiting officer where will explain what is required and answer your questions. There is an email link on our contact page as well as phone numbers and other details. Applications forms are able to be downloaded via the link at the top of this page.

Full membership of the PFIGA requires you to satisfy the association committee that you meet the standards required by our accreditation process. You provide information to the committee by completing the application form and sending it, together with copies of various required documents, to the recruiting officer with a cheque for the application fee and membership fee. 

Those with established businesses should have little difficulty in meeting the accreditation requirements. However, the form may also be viewed as a template to assist new businesses to improve their operations.

To gain full membership, you must have been running a successful guiding business for some time. Provisional membership is available to those who meet the required standards except that they have no guiding history yet. Assessing the skill and knowledge of applicants is difficult, and at present there is no formal testing of applicants in this regard. However, the committee will attempt to satisfy itself about an applicant's credentials by making enquiries. References are required on the application form.

already guiding?

If you're in business as a professional fishing guide or instructor, becoming a member of the PFIGA is important. There are plenty of people who are charging recreational anglers to take them fishing. Many of them are doing it on the basis of defraying some of the costs of their own fishing activity. The Australian Tax Office would describe this as a hobby activity. They are not professional fishing guides and they often cause bad publicity for real professionals. The PFIGA was formed originally to provide a means of accreditation for members, to differentiate them from these amateurs. If you wish to be accepted as a professional, you need to become a member of a professional body that represents members of your profession.