Recreational fishing education

Byron Bay High School Fishing Education

Byron Bay High School backs onto Cape Byron National Park and Tallow Beach. This project will provide beach fishing educational materials and equipment for the Commercial and Recreational Fishing component of the school’s Marine Studies course. The course is non-ATAR and appeals to students usually from a low socio-economic background.

Family Fishing and Seafood Trails – Developing new opportunities for fishing-related tourism which the whole family can enjoy

This project involves engaging a suitably qualified contractor to develop and implement an advertising campaign involving fishing trails to promote the unique fishing and lifestyle tourism opportunities offered at key south and north coast regions. This will involve identifying a range of fishing options for the keen angler while also providing non-fishing members of the family with opportunities to explore regional NSW with a focus on enjoying fresh local seafood. The trails aim to promote the socio-economic benefits of recreational fishing by promoting regional locations, fishing hotspots (including RFHs) and local fishing and culinary enterprises.

Fishcare - Proactively undertaking face to face education of anglers across NSW

The NSW Fishcare Volunteer program uses a network of six dedicated Education Officers and 230 motivated Fishcare Volunteers across NSW to provide face to face and hands-on education to anglers on the ground. Education Officers and Volunteers use targeted messaging to promote responsible and sustainable fishing (‘Fish for Life’). Fishcare also plays a key role in the running of the Get Hooked…its fun to fish schools program and the many fishing workshops involving thousands of kids and community members held each year. Our mission is to create a team of fishing stewards that champion, responsible fishing and a sustainable secure fishing future. Fishcare is one of the flagship programs of the Recreational Fishing Trusts.

Fishing for the elderly

Provide an opportunity for elderly persons to learn the basics of fishing using known techniques.

Fishing Lake Mac- Youth Clinics

This project will encourage youth to participate in recreational fishing. Fishcare volunteers and older residents of our community will provide mentoring and socialisation to divert away from participating in anti-social behaviour.

Get Hooked with CASPA

To educate and skill up young people living in foster and residential care on how to fish for food sustainably through an 8-week program visiting different fishing locations each week.

Get Hooked…it’s fun to fish. A fun, interactive recreational fishing program for junior and senior school students to learn about sustainable fishing

Get Hooked is a proactive student recreational fishing program aligned to the NSW Curriculum. Our aim is to teach sustainable fishing skills for life, how to maximise catch and release, and how to fish safely and responsibly. Passionate dedicated Fishcare Volunteers, Fishcare Education Officers and teachers run Get hooked class lessons with interactive fishing resource kits provided to schools. Once class lessons are completed, Education officers and Fishcare Volunteers run practical fishing workshops for thousands of school students each year, allowing them to put new skills into practice at a local waterway. The program has now been extended to senior schools and plays a part in career development for students.

Junior lake & river fishing & fun day

Encourage local juniors in the Pambula area to acknowledge the sport of fishing and increase membership and participation in the fishing club using current members to mentor and host.

Let’s Fish NSW - Recreational Fishing awareness & engagement media campaign program

The “Let’s Fish NSW” is a project campaign targeted at those who go, or have been in the past, recreational fishing. Reports though AFTA’s network of retail fishing tackle outlets have shown a massive reduction in the number of people engaging in recreational fishing pursuits.  AFTA will develop and supply a series of targeted “Let’s Fish NSW” short message videos with the aim and objective to engage and encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and genders to make a return to recreational fishing in a post restricted environment.

Let’s Go Fishing – Educating School Children on the Sustainable Benefits of Recreational Fishing: Phase 4

To progress with Phase 4 of the “Let’s Go Fishing” Schools Program in partnership with the Marine Teachers Association following the successful completion of Phases 1, 2 and 3. Phase 4 will comprise of re-stocking and replacing equipment where required in the school’s fishing kits, provide fishing equipment to an additional 25 schools and produce and deliver an “intermediate” level online educational support in the form of a six-part video series with supporting Q & A sheets.  The project will provide continuity for schools and teachers from Phase 3 in delivering quality education on recreational fishing.

Mindfulness through fishing

The project intends to take in seven groups of people, consisting of six individuals per group, totalling 42 people who have been clinically diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, along with their treating clinical psychologist. The group will be taken fishing by Southern Sydney Fishing Tours, which provides fully guided fishing trips on both Botany Bay and Port Hacking hosted by fishing expert Scotty Lyons.

NSW Fishing Workshops - Fostering new and existing fishers to be the guardians of tomorrow

Fishing workshops teach adults and children how to fish throughout NSW in a responsible and sustainable manner.  The program provides a fun, enjoyable educational experience that aims to teach the basics of fishing to new entrants giving them the skills to continue in the sport for life. Our mission is to create the fishing steward’s and champions of tomorrow. Each year, an average of 8,000 new entrants are introduced to fishing under the program.

NSW Saltwater and Freshwater Recreational Fishing Guides - One stop shop for essential fishing info

These guides provide an easy-to-read summary of essential information fishers need before they go fishing. This includes fishing rules, gear descriptions, licences and Recreational Fishing Trusts information, sustainable fishing practices and much more. It is proposed to decrease production of the guide by one third to 200,000 per year noting the increasing use of electronic media. Nevertheless, the guides still represent a one stop shop for anglers to access their fishing information. It is especially popular with new or beginner fishos.

Project LLaP: Look, Learn and Protect

Long Reef is an important feeding ground for fish. The protection of the reef and intertidal zone through education is crucial. A microEYE Discovery Microscope will addresses this and Fishcare Volunteers will also utilise this resource.

Recreational fishing waste management education program

Developing an education campaign to encourage recreational fishers to ethically and responsibly dispose of their fish frames and other waste in the Bega Valley Local Government Area.

The Fishing Club – Studio ARTES

A group for individuals with a disability to engage in recreational fishing activities in a safe and supported environment including learning to fish safely and sustainably. The project would be run over the funding period with regular sessions at different locations along the Hawkesbury River, Narrabeen Lakes, Cooks River and Georges River.

Upgrade of website database and phone app for humane dispatch of fish species encountered by recreational fishers in NSW.

The www.ikijime.com website and ikijime tool phone applications are world’s leading fish welfare tools that improve recreational fisher’s access to information on humane dispatch of finfish. However, the mobile phone applications require updates following recent operating system changes by phone manufacturers. This project will deliver those updates.

UTS Outdoor Adventure Club (UTSOAC) Recreational Fishing Project

This funding will buy fishing tackle for the UTS Outdoor Adventure Club (UTSOAC) acting under ActivateUTS LTD to add recreational fishing to the suite of activities provided for UTS students and affiliates on an ongoing basis. It will also deliver free basic training in estuary and beach fishing to allow fishing outings under a wide range of weather and sea conditions and allow the Club to establish a syllabus for future inhouse training.

Warrawong High School – Project Neptune

Project Neptune began in 1998 and involves fishing as a school sport on Thursday afternoons, weather permitting. The highlight is the program’s annual deep sea charter.

Canberra Anglers Association (CAA) – Equipment to Support Community Introduction to Fly Fishing

To refresh CAA’s stock of aging fishing equipment that it uses for public engagement events such as their signature free fly-casting instruction for the public event and instruction to new club members.

Casting for Recovery - a Weekend Fly Fishing Retreat for Women with Breast Cancer.

ACT Fly Fishers provide a free Fly Fishing Retreat which includes tuition on a one to one basis, weekend accommodation and care, for up to 14 women who have had breast cancer.

Trailer to assist in events and activities in the Albury community

Involves obtaining a versatile, durable, reliable trailer so the Lavington Anglers Club can hold events in locations to promote recreational fishing.

NSW Recreational Fishing Strategy – Creative document design

To create engaging communications approaches across a range of media (print, online and social) for the NSW Recreational Fishing Strategy, which will identify and highlight “key selling points” to effectively engage NSW recreational fishers and promote the overall vision for the recreational fishing sector.

NSW Recreational Fishing Trust Annual Report 2021 and beyond – creative design of print and online publications

To create online and print publications for the Recreational Fishing Trust Annual Report 2021, which promotes the achievements of programs supported by the Recreational Fishing Trust. The publication will be highly graphic (including photographs and infographics) and high profile, available as both a website and printable A4 document. Subsequent reports will also be prepared.

Two new saltwater Fishcare advisory trailers

Two new advisory trailers for the Fishcare Program to replace the existing North Coast and South Coast trailers, which after extensive advisory use are becoming unsightly and not suitable for ongoing use (e.g. rust, wrapping, breaking parts etc). The trailers are both over 10 years of age and ongoing patch-up and repair is no longer cost effective or feasible. Each trailer attends over 50 events per year. There are currently six advisory education trailers in use across the state with two trailers being replaced last year.

Forge Through Fishing Program

The Forge Through Fishing Program has been developed to assist veterans and first responders who are suffering mental health issues to socialise and engage in meaningful relationships whilst learning to fish.

A Rock Fishing Safety & Skills program, contributing to reducing rock fishing fatalities in NSW

This project will deliver targeted rock fishing safety education through the provision of 1,000 lifejackets, rock fishing safety workshops, classroom-based education, family targeted school programs, multilingual rock fishing safety resources and newly developed media targeted at at-risk communities.

Fostering Environmental Custodianship through Fishing

Ballina is often described as a fisher person’s paradise, yet many young locals prefer to play on their devices inside their homes. The EAC Marine Science program will foster teenagers’ interest in fishing in a responsible and environmentally friendly way such that students will become custodians of this remarkable ecosystem.

Phase 1 – Gadigal, Bidjigal and Dharawal Fish Harvesting, Sustainability and the Community

Phase one of this project will bring together Gadigal, Bidjigal and Dharawal Elders to capture and record traditional fishing knowledge, and fully develop a project plan for Phase 2 for future delivery.

Fly Fishing Rods for the Greenwell’s Fly Fishing Club, Fly Fishing course

This project will purchase six fly fishing rod, reel and line sets to train people in the sport of fly fishing and for use in community-based activities.

Carp we don’t Keepit, Carp Muster 2022

This project will provide an opportunity for the general public and recreational anglers to come together and catch a carp, win a prize and learn about protecting and enhancing native fish habitat and abundance in and around Keepit Dam and the Namoi River.

Long Reef Fishing Club – Winches Restoration Project

Long Reef Fisherman’s Club is the oldest fishing club in NSW. Its publicly accessible historic winches would be preserved and a storyboard would be created about the history of fishing in the area for the public to view.

Botany Bay Kids Gone Fishing

An opportunity to get children of the local community outdoors and away from electronic devices. The project will aim to provide some basic fishing skills and safe handling of fish and promoting catch and release techniques.

Fish For Life (FFL) Stage 2 – strengthening recreational fishing through sector growth, more diversity, enhanced fisheries sustainability, improved social licence and stewardship.

Following the launch of the FFL (Stage 1) brand in 2021, DPI plans to team up with external partners to deliver a range of new on ground and online initiatives under the FFL banner as part of Stage 2 campaign. Five subprograms will align with the core values of the FFL brand – sector growth, diversity, sustainability, social licence and stewardship – and will be delivered in close partnership with the recreational fishing industry and community (through government tender processes). This approach and next stage is a recommendation from RFNSW following review of Stage 1 FFL outcomes.

Angling Skill Transfer and Compendium for Merimbula fishers

At the beginning of each month, the Club proposes to utilise in-house and visiting experts to present an educational tutorial to members and guests on how to target fish (different species each month) by means of suitable equipment and written text. The goal is to practice sustainable fishing and transfer fundamental angling skills applicable to a variety of fish species. The outcome will be angling skill transfer and creation of a manuscript on how to target and catch and release a variety of local fish species.

Let's Go Fishing – Educating School Children on the Sustainable Benefits of Recreational Fishing: Phase 5

AFTA has successfully completed Phases 1, 2 & 3 of the "Let's Go Fishing" Schools Program in partnership with the Marine Teachers Association and is in the process of finalising Phase 4. Now, it is time to progress to Phase 5 for educational continuity for the 2023 academic year. Phase 5 will comprise of restocking and replacing equipment where required in the existing school's fishing kits and providing fishing equipment to an additional 20 new schools. This follows from Phase 4 and provides continuity for schools and teachers in delivering quality education and engagement in recreational fishing.

Rock Fishing Safety Signage

This project will involve the purchase and installation of rock fishing safety signage, reflecting the requirement to wear life jackets at rock platforms, as per the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016.

FishSmart for Mighty Mulloway - Improve recreational fishing catch data for Mulloway through 'real time' reporting via the FishSmart app

Improving data collection and monitoring for Mulloway through mandatory reporting of recreational catch data, facilitated through enhancements to the existing FishSmart App and development of a new web portal. 'Real time' reporting would provide for accurate, instantaneous data collection of Mulloway recreational fishing harvest to contribute to stock recovery assessment & monitoring, which has been identified as a key priority by the Mulloway Harvest Strategy Working Group.

Fly Fishing Rods for the promotion of Fly Fishing

Purchase 6 robust fly fishing rods, with reels and lines for the use of members of the public interested in trying fly casting and potentially taking up the sport

Lake Cargelligo Central School Fishing for Recreation and Learning

This project plans for students to be more involved in fishing for sport and recreation while learning about their local area and requirements involved in sustaining our local environment.

Boys to the Bush (BttB) Fishing for Connection: Fishing education and social inclusion for disadvantaged youth

This project will enable youth and community development organisation BttB to purchase fishing equipment to provide one-on-one mentoring, schools programs and holiday camps across six NSW locations.

Brag mats for when you don’t feel like bragging.

Purchase brag mats with educational fishing information and mental health resources for distribution at the Darlington Point Riverina Classic Catch and Release Fishing Competition, via Rural Outreach Counselling and our sponsor. Funds requested for brag mats only.

Collingullie Fishing Comp

To encourage local residents to engage in local recreational fishing around the region. To provide information on the legality of fishing and boating in local waterways.