Annual Report 2007/2008, Recfishwest.

The 2007-8 Recfishwest Annual Report was formally presented to Recfishwest members at the Annual General Meeting, 24 October 2008 in accordance with the Recfishwest Constitution

Board and staff members of Recfishwest were present at the AGM to answer any member's questions about the Annual Report.

Contents of the 2007/2008 Annual Report:-
Board of Management
PART 1 EXECUTIVE REPORTS
Chairman's Report
Executive Director's Report
Policy Officer's Report
PART 2 COMMITTEE REPORTS
Communications and Membership Committee
Policy Development Committee
Sport Development Committee
PART 3 ASSOCIATION REPORTS
Australian Anglers Association - WA Division
Australian Fishing Tackle Association - WA Branch
Australian National Sportfishing Association WA
Australian Underwater Federation
West Australian Game Fishing Association
Western Australian Trout & Freshwater Angling Association Inc.
PART 4 FINANCIAL REPORTS
Balance Sheet
Income and Expenditure Statement
Notes on Financial Statements
Statement by Members of the Board of Management
Independent Audit Report to Recfishwest
Assets Register
APPENDICES
Appendix I: Committees of which Recfishwest is a Member
Appendix II: Recfishwest 2008 Election Policy
Appendix III: Board Meeting Attendance
Appendix IV: Metropolitan and Regional Fishing Clinic Report
Appendix V: Commonwealth Government Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme - Recfishwest Final Reports

Recfishwest Annual Report 2007/2008 formatted for printing (1060 kilobyte PDF file)

       

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT (November 2007 to October 2008)

Mr Craig Leatt-Hayter, Chair of Board, Chair of Executive and the Finance & Audit Committees

Mr Norman Halse, Deputy Chair, Chair of Research Sub-Committee

Mr Des Wood, Public Board Member, Chair of Policy Development Committee

Mr Allan Bevan, Public Board Member

Mr Steven Gill, Public Board Member

Dr Howard Gill, Public Board Member

Mr Mark Morris, Public Board Member

Mr Jamie Chester, Public Board Member

Mr John Webber, General Board Member (WAGFA), Chair of Sport Development Committee

Mr Joe Petrovich, General Board Member (AUF)

Mr Harry Vosper, General Board Member (WATFAA)

Mr Stephen Gilders, General Board Member (ANSA)

Mr Terry Fuller, General Board Member (AAA WA), Chair of Communications and Membership Committee

Mr Ben Patrick, General Board Member (AFTA WA)

Proxy Board Members

Mr Jonathan Weston, AFTA WA

Mr Jim Boardman, WATFAA

Mr Pat Shinnick, AAA WA

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CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Well what a year it has been!

Drafting this report has caused me to reflect on what we have achieved and marvel at what has been done with such limited resources.

The challenge put to us by the Minister for Fisheries regarding our financial membership base and linking that to continued funding occupied a significant portion of our time in the latter half of 2007. Thanks to incentives from sponsors such as Engel Australia and Skywest and much hard work by the Recfishwest team we were able to address the Minister's concerns and exceed the membership target set. Not with standing this we must continue to work diligently to maintain and grow our membership base.

Recfishwest's Executive Director Mr. Frank Prokop will provide detailed comment on the various submissions prepared over the course of the year such as the Fisheries Management Papers 225 and 228; The Management Plan papers: Shark Bay, Stokes Inlet and Geographe Bay.

One initiative that we are immensely proud of deserves special comment and that initiative is the Young Future Leaders project. This project will help to ensure that there is a trained group of people able to assist in the future management and leadership of recreational fishing. The gathering of fifteen selected participants at the Abrolhos Islands together with a group of mentors and Fisheries personnel plus a comprehensive program ensured an intense and enlightening experience was had by all.

The support and cooperation which we received from the Commonwealth government who provided the funds, the State government who provided the facility, the Department of Fisheries who had made available a research vessel and staff time and the general recreational fishing community for their support for the project was nothing short of fantastic. Feedback to date has been encouraging and plans are already being made to run further courses in the future.

Our Fishing Clinic program continues to be well received and thanks to the huge volunteer effort that complements Recfishwest staff in running the program.

A unique fishing clinic for women recovering from breast cancer - the Pink Fly Fishing Clinic - was conducted at Point Walter with eleven women attending and receiving expert tuition in the art of flyfishing from internationally renowned fishing personality 'Reel Girl' Jeni Gates.

In closing I need to acknowledge the support, advice and input received from the members of the Recfishwest Board, it is much appreciated; the various committee (Policy, Communications and Research) contributions are invaluable and the Recfishwest team lead by Frank and Kane backed up by Con and Yvette (the quiet achievers) is truly outstanding. Thanks for the great effort and well done.

Craig Leatt-Hayter
Chairperson

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

The 2007-2008 year has been interesting and extremely dynamic. Some of the most important decisions in the last twenty years affecting recreational fishing have been made. Many of these decisions have benefited the recreational fishing sector. It was also very much a case of looking at whether the glass was half full or half empty.

Most of last year and the first part of this year was taken up with Recfishwest seeking to increase its membership levels to be able to satisfy the claim that we have a wider mandate on recreational fisheries.

I am extremely proud of the way that Recfishwest has been able to meet this challenge with over 1100 members at the end of the financial year. The support from the wider recreational fishing community and many of the tackle stores was exceptional. The Mandurah boat show provided many new members.

The Halco special edition Laser Pro 45 member incentive, the inclusion of family and pensioner discounts certainly helped to increase membership numbers. It was also extremely pleasing to be able to offer such wonderful prizes as an Engel fridge/freezer, return Skywest flights to Exmouth and many other prizes to help increase our membership. Our Chairman Craig Leatt-Hayter did an exceptional job in helping to arrange the prizes.

While having 1100 members is fantastic, it also comes at a cost. Membership acknowledgements, mailout of the lure, annual general meeting information and nomination forms for the board all need to be collated and sent out. Much of this effort fell onto Yvette Guy, in addition to her work in organising the fishing clinics which had around 3500 participants throughout Western Australia last year.

Special mention must also go to the completely indefatigable Terry Fuller. The "Casting around the Internet with Recfishwest" newsletter that Terry puts together is highly prized throughout Australia and contains exceptional information.

Challenges and Opportunities

Recfishwest faced a number of challenges on the funding and staffing front. The loss of Mark Pagano's experience and an additional policy position has had an impact on the issues which Recfishwest has been able to engage. Following from Recfishwest meeting its membership target, we were also able to secure some additional funding for 2008/2009.

Many fantastic things happened for the organisation. Recfishwest was able to run fishing clinics for nearly 3,500 people throughout the state. These included clinics for remote aboriginal communities, grandparent and child clinics and our first Pink Fly Fishers for women suffering from breast cancer. Our dedicated group of clinics presenters should feel extremely proud of these accomplishments. In addition, Recfishwest was a finalist in the Department of Community Services awards for our fishing clinics projects, a remarkable result for recognition of the benefits of our work in this area.

Kane Moyle was successful in winning the Peter Dundas-Smith Scholarship from the FRDC and is looking to journey to Canada to make a presentation on the work being conducted around Australia on reducing the impact of barotrauma.

This trip will follow the release of the 'Using the Release Weight DVD' which we produced with funds from the Commonwealth Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme. Using the skills of a variety of volunteers and the organisational ability of Con Costa, a fantastic product has been produced. Special thanks go to the Australian Fishing Network for production assistance and Sunset Sinkers for ongoing support for the release weight production.

The change of government at the federal level will have implications for Recfishwest. The Commonwealth Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme had been a wonderful blessing for us - allowing us to run the Addicted to Fishing not Drugs program (twice), the Release Weight DVD and the Young Future Leaders Program at the Abrolhos Islands. We will also be undertaking a habitat improvement project with the Water Corporation at Drakesbrook Dam, as soon as draining is undertaken for dam maintenance.

All of these projects have been spectacularly successful! The new federal government has made a small commitment to community funding, but no decisions have yet been made on how the money will be spent.

Recfishwest would dearly love to be able to run more regional fishing clinics. While they are expensive, they are extremely well received and do make a difference in regional areas.

The Young Future Leaders Program has far exceeded our wildest dreams. The standard of applicants and the support from the angling media and the Department of Fisheries has been spectacular! We cannot praise enough the Department of Fisheries staff who assisted with the preparation for, and execution of the project. Greg Finlay and Dave Griffiths from Geraldton, Mark Pagano, Clinton Syers and Kristy Saville from head office and David Fairclough from research were also phenomenal.

The Young Leaders themselves and their mentors continue to impress people all around Australia. Michael Sawyer for example, has been accepted as the first ever recreational representative on the Seafood Industry leaders program. Lisa Sharp (Hill) now sits on RFAC and each and every participant has accomplished something of which they, and Recfishwest can be extremely proud.

Fisheries Management

Much of the year was taken up with negotiations on the West Coast demersal wetfish management arrangements. Two reports were released that indicated significant problems for dhufish stocks (which Recfishwest had strongly raised as part of the dhufish workshop but with little result) and concerns with snapper.

As part of the management reforms, Jon Ford announced that the area from White Hills to Lancelin effectively becoming a recreational fishing area. While a few hand liners could continue in Cockburn Sound, the contentious long line entitlement was removed and a compensation package developed.

One of the major impacts of the change to commercial wetline management was that the cash or black market was significantly reduced. With only a few commercial fishers able to legally sell finfish, it became harder for illegal sales to avoid detection. This was seen by Recfishwest as a significant benefit of management and also decreased the mortality as much of this catch was unreported in commercial returns or undetected if by 'recreational' fishers.

Recfishwest was disappointed in the level of reporting by researchers on recreational catches with almost impossible changes in data sets being used yet there was no attempt to update the tagging information that Recfishwest and recreational fishers had worked so hard to collect.

What was extremely pleasing was that throughout the process, recreational fishers universally accepted that there was a need for significant management reforms for dhufish. The only debate was how quickly and for how long the management controls would apply.

Recfishwest believed that a two month closure would set the direction for future management as it had done for Cockburn Sound snapper with ongoing reviews as quality information from well designed and cooperative research programs was received. It is a delicate balancing act between interpreting fairly rough research data and not doing enough to ensure a quality fishery remains.

The issue remains volatile and Recfishwest is working on the myriad of management considerations with enormous energy.

During the year Minister for Fisheries Jon Ford continued to have regular meetings with our new Chairman Craig Leatt-Hayter and I. The Minister has made a number of informal approaches on policy issues and we thank the Minister and his advisers for making themselves available.

I continued as a Director to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, which is a real honour. The FRDC Board met with the Recfishwest Board and received a presentation from the Young Future Leaders which was extremely well received.

Kane Moyle continues to excel in many areas and continues on the Fisheries Research Advisory Body (FRAB) that advises FRDC on Western Australian research priorities. Western Australia has some challenges to meet in developing quality research applications, especially with Integrated Fisheries Management information needs not qualifying for many external funding programs and the start up of the new Western Australian Marine Science Institute (WAMSI) with CSIRO also competing for time of the researchers. Kane has now joined the Recfishing Research team administered by Bill Sawynok.

Recfish Australia

Recfishwest has continued to have a high profile with Recfish Australia. Des Wood is a member of the Board during the year and worked hard to ensure that the politics of fishing at the national level didn't become too difficult. Recfish Australia has made enormous progress during the year but has also suffered through the dedicated efforts of a few individuals to try and bring our national peak body to its knees. Ultimately, continual distractions took their toll and my friend John Harrison resigned as CEO to take up a position with the commercial fishing industry in the Clarence region of northern NSW.

It is ironic that last year I flagged to Recfish and through this report that I would not be here in 12 months, yet I continue while John has moved on. It is frustrating that ongoing sniping happens so often in fishing. It is a challenge that new CEO Len Olyott is addressing as he finds his feet. The situation with Recfish Australia would be greatly helped with better understanding and support from DAFF and DEHWA, the two main government departments in Canberra.

The list of the vast range of committees and working groups in which Recfishwest participates demonstrates the regard with which our views are held. We add value not only to all of the program initiatives of the Department of Fisheries, but across a huge spectrum of government and non-government issues. We have given and earned respect from the commercial fishing industry, mainstream conservation groups, local government, state government departments and their Ministers and the Australian government. We should all feel proud that we ensure that the views of recreational fishing are considered. We may not win everything and there are times when it feels that the mountain to climb is extremely high, but it is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.

The presence of Recfishwest, the Conservation Council, MG Kailis group, WAFIC and Aquaculture Council on the Halt the Salt project, and the wonderful win we had in getting the project rejected, is a testimony to the capacity of these groups to work together.

Department of Fisheries

During the year, I am sad to report that our relationship with the Department of Fisheries suffered a number of testing times. In particular, our relationship with the Research Division deteriorated as communication dried up and we were unable to learn about projects and results. Recfishwest raised significant concerns about Cockburn Sound crabs modelling, recreational catch calculations and addressing management of the Roe's abalone fishery with no positive outcomes. When the Research Committee invited the Department to help develop research priorities, we were told that this had already been done and that we should look at their priorities.

Within head office, many good people have left. The loss of Heather Brayford last year, Ian Curnow and Tim Bray and the likely loss of Kristy Saville has greatly impacted on progress of management issues. These experienced and quality staff were also most likely to have meaningful engagement with Recfishwest.

In a number of areas we have seen the only tangible outcome of a move towards Integrated Fisheries Management being the dissolution of a dedicated recreational program. In spite of this, Recfishwest remains strongly committed to the IFM model and hope that efforts are made to make it work.

We have spent the entire year trying to make progress on changes to consultative structures which would cause Recfishwest to examine its Board composition and servicing of regional issues. There has been no progress.

It is also extremely important to point out the enormous contribution of our volunteer based Board. The Executive Committee including Craig Leatt-Hayter, Des Wood, Steven Gill, Norman Halse and Terry Fuller work many hours a week on Recfishwest issues.

We have been continuing to ensure that the needs of recreational fishermen are given full consideration in the development of management strategies by local, state and federal government and by other interest groups such as commercial fishing, conservation and many others.

Funding

Our funding will again be closely examined during the year, particularly with a looming election, to ensure that our funding is assured for the medium term.

While we can get money for running fishing clinics and research projects, it is the daily grind of management negotiations, the heartbreakingly mundane series of meetings that may never lead to an outcome which is where we are having trouble getting core funding. It is for this reason that we invested so heavily in terms of time in developing the young future leaders to take a greater role into the future.

Recfish Australia is faced with similar problems and the peak national body for commercial fishing ASIC folded due to lack of funding and support. WAFIC and the rock lobster industry are also facing many challenges and it is essential that all recreational fishers understand how important it is to have a strong, professional and viable peak body for both commercial and recreational fishing in Western Australia.

The future

Last year I was feeling very frazzled. I have since had another recurrence of my medical issues requiring further surgery in late June. The Minister has placed significant challenges before Recfishwest, some of which have required considerable commitment to issues not directly related to fisheries management. However, with all these things, I believe that we have come out the other side.

We have gained the respect of the Minister for continued good faith negotiations, and my doctors are confident that they have gotten all of my tumours.

My absence has seen the blossoming of Kane Moyle as a fisheries manager. He has taken the challenge of acting as ED of Recfishwest while I have been away in his stride. He will make a significant mark in Australian fisheries management.

I am much more confident of the future of Recfishwest as an organisation and the activity as an integral part of the lifestyle of Western Australia. I can therefore seek to move on when the right opportunity arises and know that others can build on a solid foundation.

I would like to offer special thanks to our new Chairman, Craig Leatt-Hayter, whose enthusiasm and dedication has been greatly appreciated.

Special thanks to Board members Dr Howard Gill, Al Bevan and Mark Morris who have faced significant family medical issues this year. Also to Stephen Gilders who has faced similar issues, but who is likely to remain on the Board. They have served the organisation very well, including Howard on the executive Committee and we hope that all will continue to keep in touch.

The efforts of all Board members and other volunteers who give so freely of their time on behalf of recreational fishing are often under recognised. It has been a bittersweet pleasure to work on the variety of issues during the past year with such enthusiastic and dedicated people.

Frank Prokop
Executive Director

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POLICY OFFICER'S REPORT

The 2007/08 year provided some significant challenges to our already slim policy staff resources. The departure of Principal Policy Officer, Mark Pagano, to the Department of Fisheries required a significant restructure in the organisation's capacity to deal with policy issues. Recfishwest no longer had the luxury of two full time staff to deal with the myriad of policy issues impacting on recreational fishing in this vast state. This required a refocussing of efforts towards core issues impacting on recreational fishers with the major issue over the past year being the review of the West Coast demersal scalefish management.

In September 2007 Minister for Fisheries, Jon Ford, announced the largest recreational only fishing zone in Western Australia stretching the entire metropolitan coastline from Mandurah to Lancelin out to the 200 metre isobath. This announcement was obviously well received by Recfishwest as we have been working on greater access for the recreational fishery in the metropolitan region for nearly 10 years, but at the same time we knew our time would come for tighter management.

The lengthy consultation process that followed then resulted in a plan that would see the recreational sector have to significantly reduce its catch of the now aptly named vulnerable 5. The large number of submission (over 1300) indicated that this review sparked considerable interest from recreational fishing public, with the position and timing of a closed season generating the greatest level of comment. It was encouraging to see the large number of submissions from the public, however, opinions were often polarized, and ensuring any position Recfishwest took likely to upset a component of our constituents. I believe our final submission was a well considered and responsible position, which a large proportion was supported in the final plan.

While we saw a lot of action in the way of West Coast demersal scalefish management, Marine Park Planning took up significantly less time than it has in the past four years. In that time Recfishwest has learnt a lot about how to best deal with the marine park planning process and we are starting to see some positive outcomes for the recreational community, particularly with the Walpole/Nornalup Inlets Marine Park. The Pilbara Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park will be the next cab off the rank and Recfishwest has become involved early on setting up a Fisheries Consultation group with Department of Environment and Conservation , WAFIC, Pearl Producers Association and Department of Fisheries.

Recreational Fishing Community Grants projects

2007/08 saw the completion of three Recfishwest funded Commonwealth Government Recreational Fishing Community Grants projects. The success of the Young Future Leaders Course held out at the Abrolhos Islands was a particularly rewarding achievement for the organisation. Watching the participants grow before your eyes as they developed a greater understanding of the intricacies involved in fisheries management was fantastic. Recfishwest now has a highly competent group of young future leaders in recreational fishing to fill important advocacy roles in the future. Recfishwest will continue to promote a number of further leadership development opportunities to the group to ensure their development as the next generation of leaders continues.

The Recfishwest team put a significant amount of work into ensuring this inaugural program ran smoothly and I can not thank everyone involved enough. The support from the Department of Fisheries and in particular Greg Finlay in making sure everything we needed for running a successful conference at the extremely isolated Abrolhos Islands was catered for. The high level of interest for positions in this inaugural course and success of the program has encouraged Recfishwest to pursue funding for another course in 2009.

The Recfishwest Release Weight DVD and Brochure was another Commonwealth Community Grants Project completed in 2008. I must thank the exceptional efforts Con Costa in organising the logistics for this extremely challenging project. This finished project has received great reviews form the recreational fishing public and should well and truly see the project achieve its key aim of increasing awareness of this best practice for releasing demersal fish.

Professional development

The past year has seen a number of professional development opportunities come my way. In September 2007 I was fortunate to be a part of the Recfish Australia Next Generation of Leaders Course held in Darwin. This was a fantastic opportunity to be involved in this inaugural leadership course and I have developed a number of good national contacts in the recreational fishing industry. I was particularly fortunate to be given Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Executive Director, Patrick Hone, as my Mentor for the program. Patrick and I have continued to make regular contact since the program and have discussed further professional development opportunities.

In May this year I was awarded the $10,000 FRDC Peter Dundas-Smith Scholarship. I plan to use this scholarship money to attend the American Fisheries Society Conference in Ottawa as well as spending a week with Bill Sawynok, Infofish in Rockhampton to learn from some of the recreational research programs he has set up. I plan to use the knowledge gained from this to develop a discussion paper on how best to utilise recreational anglers as collectors of fisheries data. Currently recreational anglers are being underutilised in fisheries research and moving forward a real goal of Recfishwest should to be to take on responsibility for coordinating recreational anglers in fisheries research projects.

If Recfishwest's Policy resources weren't stretched enough with the departure of Mark Pagano, 2007/08 has seen myself spend some significant amounts of time away from the office. Between a wedding, around the world honeymoon trip, shoulder reconstruction, new front teeth and increasing work travel demand the number of hours spent in the office have been stretched. I thank all of the staff that have picked up the slack while I have been away and particularly Frank, where the burden of completing submissions has often been left.

The unfortunate need for Frank to have further surgery in 2008 saw me take on the responsibility of Acting in the Executive Director role for two months. This was a particularly busy time for the organisation with Minister Jon Ford announcing his plan for West Coast demersal scalefish management. Frank's terrible misfortune provided fantastic experience for me in leading the organisation. My thanks must go out to the Executive Committee for their support and assistance during this testing time for the organisation.

I must also thank the tireless work of both Con Costa and Yvette Guy with the administrative duties and coordination of fishing clinics for Recfishwest. They are the two that hold the office together and are so important to the success of this organisation.

I look forward to continue working with Recfishwest and our many stakeholders on the many challenges that lie ahead for the recreational fishing industry.

Kane Moyle
Policy Officer

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COMMUNICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

The 2007/8 year has been an interesting one for the Communications and Membership Committee.

Recfishwest Membership

The Minister for Fisheries set Recfishwest a challenge to substantially increase membership during the 2007 calendar year as part of the conditions for Recfishwest's funding. Considerable effort was spent informing the fishing public about Recfishwest's activities and the benefits of supporting Recfishwest in its work of representing the interests of recreational anglers.

As an incentive, new members joining were offered a choice of a special edition Halco Laser Pro lure or Fantastic Fish calendar and all members were included in a draw for prizes at Christmas. Through the efforts of office staff and Board members, the membership exceeded the target of over 1000 before the end of the year.

With the support of sponsors, a prize draw was held for some great Christmas presents for several lucky members, including an Engel portable fridge/freezer plus accessories, 2 air tickets to Exmouth, 2 lanterns, a quality rod and reel, and a lure pack.

Special thanks to Yvette Guy and Con Costa for all the administrative work involved with such a substantial increase in membership numbers throughout the year, including the extra work in emailing many Recfishwest and other publications to all members with email.

Recfishwest Website

The Recfishwest website is a critical part of informing members and the public about Recfishwest's activities, communicating with some of WA's recreational anglers, and being a reference source with comprehensive new content added regularly to the website.

Following research and development by Terry Fuller, all pages have now been updated to have the same consistent layout, appearance and features, using many familiar website conventions and standards which make it as easy as possible for both inexperienced and experienced Internet users. Terry regularly checks the website to ensure that all links are correct and working to avoid those annoying "page not found" messages.

One of the invisible features is that all pages on the website have intelligent "counters" to record the entry page, the website from where the visitor was referred, documents downloaded, external links visited, and other pages read during that same visit. A total of over 62,000 pages were read during 2007/8, an average of over 170 pages per day, but ranging to over 350 pages per day when important new information was added.

This use and page access information has been extremely useful for monitoring of website page popularity and usage, website management, research and development, and to demonstrate the value of advertising Recfishwest's activities on other websites, particularly in the discussion forums on fishing websites.

It has also demonstrated the value of having a professional standard website with interesting and relevant content and link cross-references which can be found by search pages such as Google which introduce new visitors who often look at other pages on the RFW website during their visit.

This usage information is collected in accordance with Recfishwest's Privacy Policy and does not collect personal information about people or identify individual users or computers.

Spreading the Recfishwest message via "fishing forums"

Six local WA fishing website forums are used by WA anglers:- Hotbite, Western Angler, Fishwrecked, FishingWA, Breammaster and Southcoastfishing. These are used by a cross section of local anglers to discuss and debate various fishing related topics.

When Terry Fuller first started using the forums several years ago, some posts and perceptions of Recfishwest's activities were very misinformed, one sided and some were extremely critical. Frank Prokop answered some of these, but some posters got very personal and did not seem to care about the facts.

Terry Fuller has used these forums in his own personal time as one way of communicating with some of the recreational angling public. Terry's approach has been to report about Recfishwest's activities, submissions, policies, membership, etc which are in the public domain published on the Recfishwest website, but being careful of statements which may be interpreted as speaking for Recfishwest.

Some forum readers do not realise this distinction and many see Terry as a spokesperson for Recfishwest. The Recfishwest Chairman and professional staff and some Ministers' staff and Government Departments also monitor the posts on these forums.

Terry responds to comments and statements made by others about Recfishwest, fishing management and marine park matters, and posts relevant links and extracts from official websites to provide the correct information or alternative approaches to the topics. Terry tries to be diplomatic but firm and answer all the questions and comments until everything raised has been answered.

At times this involves dealing with some very controversial topics and very strongly held and diverging opinions, for example on the management of commercial wetline fishing, and the management of recreational demersal fishing on the West Coast. Even when the original poster can or will not be convinced, there are real benefits in posting replies and factual information for the other readers of those threads.

It is rewarding to note that this consistent approach of providing comprehensive information seems to be paying off. There are now few negative posts about Recfishwest. The general tone of comments about Recfishwest on WA fishing forums has become much more positive and informed and is remembered. Other posters regularly quote Recfishwest's work and links in answer to questions and comments when new people start using the forums and asking questions which have been covered before.

"Casting around the Internet with Recfishwest"

First introduced in mid 2007, thirty four separate issues of "Casting around the Internet with Recfishwest" have been produced up until the end of June 2008. The aim of these is to inform Recfishwest members of some of the new things which affect recreational fishing.

Each issue has details of 6 to 8 interesting new fishing related articles found on the Internet. The emphasis is on Western Australian topics, but includes other significant or interesting articles from elsewhere when these are found. The format is a heading, some sentences about the contents and a clickable link to the full article on the Internet.

A conscious and deliberate decision has been made that "Casting Around..." will report information found on the Internet but does not add comments either in support of or against the original contents. The summaries may draw attention to particular parts of the article, but we leave it to readers to read the original full article for themselves, and make up their own mind about that. Sometimes two or more items are placed together to invite the reader to make comparisons of the information in the articles.

These publications are produced as a service for Recfishwest members. The most recent up to date issues are reserved for members of Recfishwest and are emailed directly to members as soon as they are produced. Older versions are placed on the Recfishwest website but are deliberately delayed by about 4 weeks so that members get more up to date information than the general public does. The response to these publications has been overwhelmingly positive from Recfishwest members and others who receive them.

Articles for Fishing Magazines

Kane Moyle has written several articles for the "Hotbite" fishing magazine covering a range of topics which Recfishwest has worked on, spreading the word that Recfishwest is alive and well and on top of current issues. These articles are also placed on the website after the next edition of Hotbite is published.

Fishing Clinics

Once again this was an important activity to generate publicity, introduce children to recreational fishing, meet some recreational anglers face to face and fill a need in the community. See Yvette Guy's fishing clinic report for full details.

Shows and Events

Recfishwest attended the Club Marine Mandurah Boat Show, Seniors Recreation Council "Have a Go Day" and Melville Angling Club's Swanfish. At all of the above, the Recfishwest display trailer was on display and manned by Recfishwest people. Many of the public viewed the displays, took pamphlets and received information on many matters concerning recreational fishing and Recfishwest activities. Thank you to all who gave up their time to man the trailer.

The Future

This report covers the year July to June. Activities from July up to the October Annual General Meeting will be covered in next year's Annual Report. These will include details such as adding DVDs to the website, membership incentives for Christmas 2008, updates to the display trailer, and possibly some early indications of the directions of the long awaited review of recreational fishing consultative structures and implications for more both way communications and interactions with recreational anglers particularly outside the metropolitan area.

The next year is going to be most interesting and I see continuing effort by this committee and individuals to assist in meeting the communications and membership targets required by Recfishwest.

Terry Fuller
Chair of Communications and Membership Committee

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POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Attendance at Policy Committee meetings ranged from 3 to 5 Board members plus Recfishwest member Mr Peter Blyth and Recfishwest staff.

A number of issues covering a range of items were discussed during the year the major two being:

1. A revision of Recfishwest's Policy on Recreational Fishing Licences.

2. Interaction with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure regarding safety issues for Divers/Spear Fishermen.

The revision of Recfishwest's licensing policy is ongoing while the issues of Diver/Spearfisherman safety have received a negative response from the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

Thank you to all attendees for their assistance with reviews and comments on the issues discussed at the meetings with special acknowledgement to Mr. Norman Halse for his work on preparing draft documentation on the Fishing Licence proposed policy amendments. Thank you also to Recfishwest's Policy Officer Kane Moyle for assistance

Des Wood
Chair of Policy Development Committee

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SPORT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Sports Development Committee met only once during the 2007/2008 year.

The charter of the Sports Development Committee is to concentrate on the allocations and administration of the Department of Sport and Recreation funding. This funding has remained unchanged in the last few years.

The committee operates very smoothly as all of the associations liaise with each other to obtain the best results possible, taking into account any special projects that may be planned for the year.

As always my thanks to all concerned for their efforts on behalf of all associations.

John Webber
Chair of Sport Development Committee

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AUSTRALIAN ANGLERS ASSOCIATION (WA DIVISION)

Once again as with all clubs it has been a fairly tumultuous year in the AAA, with the losing of some good members due to health issues, others that have left the metropolitan area and clubs that have found it difficult to survive due to the ever demanding workloads put on everyone to survive. However, the positive out of the year was that the AAA still ran efficiently enough to provide its members with information and assistance wherever needed and provided a vocal and focal point for issues that needed to be addressed for clubs and individuals.

This was more than evident with the Department of Fisheries and Department of Environment and Conservation proposals that have been put out for requests for comments and clubs and members showing their support with adequate feedback to allow the AAAWA to place in informative and suggestive submissions.

We will always try our best, remembering we are all but mere volunteers that appreciate the simple things in life that others may take for granted, and consult with others for the rights of fellow club members and public alike, then assist wherever possible, to help all to enjoy the wonderful relaxing pastime in fishing and enjoy the camaraderie of clubmanship, and this is what we are all about.

State AAA Events

State AAA events took up a lot of our time. The first was the State Dry Casting in October 2007. The quality of the casting was excellent, this was well patronised and well run, and thanks to George Holman with John Curtis, who jumped in and run the event.

Don Cox has been the driver on the AAA State Estuary, Rock and Beach group and with a small band of workers had conducted meetings to organise both events.

Both events, the Estuary on Cockburn Sound and the Rock and Beach at Port Gregory, ran smoothly. Thank you to Don and all those who supported them. Don has also been a major organiser for the Melville Club's Swanfish event that is run every year for all categories, and is always well received within the general public.

The AAA State Boating Championship was held at Lancelin with headquarters at the Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club (LAAC), providing the venue for the weigh in and presentation area, this was a huge success. AAA organised the event with assistance from all other boating clubs. The attendance and positive results showed what can be achieved by good organisation, professionalism and the support of club members.

Whilst competitors were "out there" in there favourite spots, Mark Stone, John Truswell and Robby Corlett from Lancelin Club with Carmel Langdon from ORSSC, set up the presentation and the weigh in area and it looked magnificent, the juniors had their mouths open in awe at the tackle packs.

There was a multitude of people from the Lancelin club that did not fish and prepared the "refreshment" areas, much to the appreciation of all competitors, cheers to the "Dunstan" clan.

Good weather albeit uncomfortable due to the Easterly winds all day was enjoyed and some excellent catches were achieved. The competition is run allowing only one fish of each species from an eligible species list. To the boating sub committee a big thank you from all of us for the great effort.

To all the various winners and overall champions, both individual and teams in all our State events go congratulations from all clubs and their members. Results are detailed on the AAAWA website http://www.aaawa.iinet.net.au/

National AAA Convention

A lot of work has gone into preparing and sending WA State team representatives to Wallaroo South Australia. The support of the Department of Sport and Recreation via Recfishwest has helped to make this possible and as a result we had George Holman and Bob Henderson, present back to the AAA WA the information that will ensure that the event will go extremely well. There are a large number of club members who appreciated the information and are attending the event.

Fisheries Management and Access

In recent years there has been a lot of time spent dealing with many fisheries management and Marine Park issues. Our policy of working in a positive manner with Recfishwest and the Department of Fisheries and any other group involved in fisheries management and Marine Parks has certainly borne fruit, although Marine Protected Areas such as Jurien Bay have been particularly difficult.

Thankfully we have a diligent representative of the AAA on the Recfishwest board in Terry Fuller, we as a group are thankful and proud that Terry has represented us efficiently in this role and appreciate the overflow effect of Terry's infectious attitude.

Records

The role of the AAA National Records Authority has been clarified. At each National AAA convention since 1985, WA has been given the job of National records, and Richard Siudak and his team have been trying to update all the records.

Ian Cooke who is the AAAWA Records Authority has ensured that all information is captured and has worked extremely hard to get us "back on track".

Once again this can be seen in the AAA website that Terry Fuller has assisted in providing for all and when given the chance has assisted by keeping it up to date on the web. The latest reports etc are on the website.

Fishing Clinics

Unfortunately due to the increased workload on volunteers, this year we were unable to have a clinic; however there is one that has been proposed for this financial year of the AAAWA.

Pat Shinnick
President, Australian Anglers Association, WA Division.

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AUSTRALIAN FISHING TACKLE ASSOCIATION - WA BRANCH

This year we were awarded two grants from the Commonwealth Government's Recreational Fishing Community Grants Scheme. One project was to produce a new Educational DVD on fishing around Australia and the second was to do fishing in schools program in NSW Primary/ High schools, which also has been offered to South Australia and Tasmania. This entails supplying fishing gear to schools through their local tackle shop to start a fishing activity in that school, which would hopefully lead to new junior anglers taking up the sport. These two Grants are worth a total of $143665.45.

The DVD Learn to Fish 2 has completed its filming and is in post edit stages. The Western Australia segment was shot at Mandurah in conjunction with WA Angler who sponsored the segment. The DVD is brand free and shows teenagers and younger people fishing in the real world to inspire youth to give it a go.

The AFTA Executive Officer combined a visit to WA with the DVD filming to see concerned members of the Trade about the proposed radical closures. Attending a meeting in Perth to discuss the problems and to see how AFTA could help. AFTA assisted the Industry with $20,000.00 towards their campaign costs. Fortunately the recent WA Elections has seen a change of Government and attitude towards the closures.

An Environmental Policy is being developed by the association for our Industry as we speak and this could be an important tool in future discussions with any government body. We should be aware of changes in recreational fishing regulations in Europe, the issue of lead, line and hooks and we need to analyze what we are and where the future lies for an ongoing and vibrant Industry.

Ben Patrick
Board Member, Australian Fishing Tackle Association - WA Branch

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AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION - WA BRANCH

As with all the angling fraternity ANSA has felt the impact of tighter controls and dwindling stocks.

This in turn has had a huge impact on club membership and Member clubs. We have seen the demise of the first Sportfishing Club in W.A., West Coast Sportfishing Club and Lurecasters Sportfishing Club. Along with Cockburn Powerboat Club these two clubs bore the brunt of the administration of the Association.

ANSA will remain a viable association in the west, but will only have major presence in the northern part of the state. It is with this thought in mind that major changes have been made to records both state and nationally and personal achievements such as Masters Certificates. All line class sections have now changed to length of fish in lieu of weight of fish. Line classes have also changed to accommodate the use of braid combined with a breaking strain infill section. The main purpose of the braid integration is to keep the interest in personal touch in the Masters Awards more so than records

ANSA is still involved in its Tagging Program and it is still active in its data collection.

2008/09 stands as the most important period of fishing in W.A.

Stephen G Gilders
President, Australian National Sportfishing Association WA Branch (Inc.)

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AUSTRALIAN UNDERWATER FEDERATION

Underwater Federation) achieve a number of its objectives set after its revival in 2006/07. In particular it has:

• Provided a focal and distribution point for Spearfishing issues within WA

• Provided a high profile contact point for new divers and unbiasedly link them to divers in their area or with similar goals.

• Documented achievements and exploits of WA divers via a state newsletter and online records

Other objectives that while, some headway had been made, need further work include:

• Deal with issues that are bigger than a club level. For example: Diver safety, marine park submissions, improve public perception by helping research and making sure they get acknowledged.

• Help improve diver competence and achievement: maybe organise some clinics on gear or freediver techniques.

• Retain current members while demonstrating to members the advantages of joining the AUF.

The WA AUF sees its relationship with Recfishwest as a vital part of ensuring our pastime has a future and is encouraging its members to join Recfishwest as individuals rather than by AUF proxy.

Membership status 2007/08

Spearfishing AUF membership within WA reached a high of 96 financial members for 2007/08. The vast majority of these members belong to either the West Australian Undersea Club (WAUC) or Bluewater Freedivers of Western Australia (BFWA). These are the only two AUF affiliated club in Western Australia although there are some independent AUF divers scattered across the state.

Membership for 2008/09 is likely to be similar with a possible slight increase in January 2009 if non AUF divers choose to dive in the nationals being hosted by WA in February 2009.

Committee status

No changes occurred to the committee during 2007/08 although it must be noted that elections are due before the end of the year. The current committee is:

Chair: Simon Longbottom

Treasurer: Peter Barbara

Secretary: Jodi McNeill (also proxy for Peter who works offshore)

State Records Officer: Lee Paxman

Competition Organsier: Alastair McNeill

WASC Representative on Recfishwest board: Joe Petrovich (also WAUC Rep)

BFWA Representative: Barry Paxman

While not holding an official position on the committee, Arnold Picolli attends meetings to provide his experience in large competition organising.

The committee has been meeting irregularly (about every 4 months) with most issues are resolved via email or phone.

State Spearfishing Records

State records can be viewed on line at: http://www.bluewaterfreediversofwa.com/files/WAspearfishingrecords.htm (link opens in a new window)

Rules and Application forms are available for download at: http://www.bluewaterfreediversofwa.com/files/documents/CLAIMINGAWESTAUSTRALIANSPEARFISHINGRECORD.pdf (link opens in a new window)

2007/08 AUF events

Western Australia is not "big" on Spearfishing competitions, however, the WASC did organise a pairs competition held in March 2008. The competition followed the Interpacific rules and all pairs swam from a central anchoring area. Divers had to work hard in fairly poor visibility (3-5m), swimming several kilometres in an effort to find a variety of species (not easy when the water depth was 12-16m and you can't see anything!). Hans Beyeler did a great job in the safety boat and Fisheries WA even put in an appearance to check all pairs from their massive rigid inflatable. After the 5 hour swim time eight pairs managed to weigh in fish.

Jodi and Alastair MacNeill did a fine job with the weigh in and feeding the hungry divers. When the scores where tallied it was Arnold Piccoli and David Bond in first place with 6 species, followed closely by Barry Paxman and Simon Longbottom also with 6 species, ever consistent Guy Davies and Dean Thorburn rounded out the top 3. Many thanks go to our sponsors Agro Dive Imports, Adrenalin Spearfishing and Super Frog (EDGE).

Major issues facing WA divers

Tightening of bag limits and restriction of fishing areas.

This topic dominated WASC agenda throughout the year. Communication between the committee and its members on what was being proposed was excellent. Individual WA AUF member submissions on the proposed changes were approximately 35% of overall membership.

We sent several questions to Fisheries policy officers for clarification who as yet can not answer our queries although they have acknowledged these are valid questions.

Dive flag.

Another issue that has been dragging on for over 12 months. Recently we received a letter via Recfishwest that was printed in the 4th edition of "Seachange" (AUF newsletter). In my opinion DPI missed the point entirely. That being, 1) there needs to be some recourse available to freedivers if there is an accident and 2) we need to promote "diver about" not "diver below" (the current slogan). Over the next 12 months we will continue to push this issue.

Challenges facing the WA Spearfishing commission for 2008/09

Sustaining membership, create new clubs and understanding what our members want.

This is our biggest challenge. Many divers say "why should I join the AUF, what does it do for me". Fair enough, some people need tangible personal benefits and don't want to give a few dollars a year for volunteers to represent spearfishing. However, asking these same people what they want the AUF to do for them have yielded few tangible tasks. One point that continues to be raised is a national insurance policy, just having this as a benefit would see a lot of WA divers retained as AUF members.

Conclusion

In summary 2007/08 has been an "eye opener" for me into the world of differing opinions all seeking the same result. However, I feel confident that the WASC remains focused on ensuring that freedive spearfishing stays recognised as a legitimate form of recreational fish (and is afforded the same rights as recreational line fishing) while educating divers as to their environmental responsibilities in this delicate resource sharing age.

Simon Longbottom
Chair, West Australian Spearfishing Commission

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WEST AUSTRALIAN GAME FISHING ASSOCIATION

Early indications are that we may lose one of our clubs this year, and possibly two. The reasons for this are not clear, although the drop in the numbers of fish available to West Australian anglers in the last few seasons could well be a contributing factor. The continual rise in the cost of fuel, the cost of club membership, increasing restrictions on access and environmental problems may also play a part. In addition there is less willingness on the part of members to take an active part in committees. It is difficult to see how we can reverse these trends.

Our Association is also extremely disappointed that variations to the Pearl leases at the Montebello Islands are being considered. This will further restrict our access to this area, should they be granted.

The WAGFA Management Committee continues to appreciate the ongoing support from Recfishwest on these and many other issues.

Again it has been a pleasure working with the staff and Board of Management at Recfishwest, and I thank them for their support during the year.

John Webber
Board Member, West Australian Game Fishing Association

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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN TROUT & FRESHWATER ANGLING ASSOCIATION INC.

As I have said several times before, an organisation is only as good as the people that run it and this is proven once again by the Council that I have been fortunate to work with, this year. The Council members this past year have taken their responsibilities to heart and have given freely of their time and efforts. I would like to thank the whole Council for the effort that they put in covering all the ongoing needs, ensuring that the Association operates smoothly and efficiently to the benefit of all members.

Our Honorary Secretary Wally Mackowiak has once again been the backbone of both the Council and the Association and I thank him for all that he has done for the Council, the Association and myself.

This has been a most productive and exciting year. As all members know, we, the general public lost access to Logue Brook Dam. In spite of all the politicking, letters and pressure, the Minister has not and will not change his mind. Whether we ever get it back in some distant future is in the lap of the Gods. However, what this unfortunate episode has done is given birth to The West Australian Recreation Sports and Tourist Association (WARSTA).

WARSTA is made up of the peak bodies from all the components in the title and represents some 450,000 people. This gives it a fair amount of political clout and it together with some Government Departments such as Department of Sports and Recreation, has forced the Government to review Policy 13. Policy 13 is the policy used by the Water Authority to evaluate the catchment areas surrounding the fresh water impoundments such as all the dams. In the past all efforts to achieve some sort of compromise has always been beaten to death with Policy 13 which was not only written in the dark ages, but is a no compromise, absolute, "this is the way it is going to happen" document.

In order to change it, a review committee has been created and I represent WATFAA on it. We will change Policy 13 have no fear and hopefully not only stop this taking of our waters, but possibly getting some back. If any member wishes to speak to me about WARSTA after the AGM, please do.

WATFAA is represented on the Boards of Recfishwest and the Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Subcommittee. Both organisations have served us well this year.

I would like to thank Frank Prokop and his Staff for all the help that they have given us during the year. It is also wonderful to see Frank whole and hearty once again and we all hope that his trials are now behind him.

Harry Vosper

President, Western Australian Trout and Freshwater Angling Association

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FINANCIAL REPORTS

Detailed financial reports are provided to members of Recfishwest at the Annual General Meeting in a printed version of the Annual Report.

Statement by Members of the Board of Management



Independent Audit Report to Recfishwest



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APPENDIX I: Committees/Working Groups of which Recfishwest is a member

Committee	Member	Meetings
6PR fishing show	Frank Prokop	4 shows
Abalone MAC	Des Wood	4 meetings
Australian Fishing Tackle Association Executive Meeting	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
Barramundi and Threadfin Accord	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
Cape Peron Tourist Precinct Project Stakeholder Reference Group	Allan Bevan	3 meetings
Cockburn Sound Management Council - Full Council	Keith Tocas	2 meetings
Cockburn Sound Management Council - Executive Council	Keith Tocas	2 meetings
Curtin University - Aquatic Science Division	Kane Moyle	2 presentations
Developing New Fisheries Assessment Committee	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Ecologically Sustainable Development Working Groups	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management FRDC Workshop - Melbourne	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Fisheries Research Advisory Body (WA)	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
	Kane Moyle	4 meetings
Fisheries Research Development Corporation Board	Frank Prokop	6 meetings
Fisheries Research Development Corporation - Research Strategic Directions - Canberra	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Fremantle Council Commercial Fishing Community Forum	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Halt the Salt Alliance	Kane Moyle	3 meetings
Healthway Sponsorship Coordination Committee	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee (independent member)	Norman Halse	16 meetings
Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee - Rock Lobster	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee - Abalone	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
Marine Parks and Reserves Authority	Kane Moyle	1 presentation
Marine Parks and Reserves Authority - Jurien Marine Park Audit Review	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
	Terry Fuller	1 meeting
Murdoch University Peel Harvey Ecosystem Modelling Workshop	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
National Oceans Advisory Group	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
National Recfishing Research Working Group (Kane Moyle appointed Observer)	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Northern Development Taskforce Fisheries Reference Group	Kane Moyle	4 meetings
Northern Development Taskforce Stakeholder Conference (Broome)	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Peak Stakeholder Group - Marine Planning	Frank Prokop	8 meetings
	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Pilbara Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park Fisheries Consultation Group	Kane Moyle	2 meetings
Outdoors WA - Adventure Activity Standards	Craig Bibra	1 meeting
	Kim Burton	1 meeting
Owen Anchorage Sub Committee	Keith Tocas	4 meetings
Recfish Australia	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
	Des Wood	4 meeting
Recfish Australia Strategic Revenue Options for Recreational Fishing	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
	Norman Halse	1 meeting
	Des Wood	1 meeting
	Terry Fuller	1 meeting
Recreational Boating Facilities Working Group	Craig Leatt-Hayter	2 meetings
	Con Costa	1 meeting
Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) and Subcommittees	Norman Halse (Member)	12 meetings
	Des Wood (Member)	4 meetings
	Kane Moyle (Observer)	4 presentations
	Frank Prokop (Observer)	2 meetings
Recreational Fishing Consultative Structures Working Group	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
	Norman Halse	2 meetings
	Kane Moyle	2 meetings
Recreational Freshwater Fishing Stakeholder Subcommittee (RFFSS)	Frank Prokop	4 meetings
	Harry Vosper (WATFAA)	4 meetings
Regional RFAC South West (independent member)	Des Wood	4 meetings
	Harry Vosper	4 meetings
Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC), Subcommittees and Coastal Tour	Des Wood	6 meetings
RLIAC Research and Development Committee	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Sepia Depression Ocean Outlet Stakeholder Liaison Group	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Service Clubs	Frank Prokop	2 presentations
Social and Economic Research needs Working Group - Department of Fisheries	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
State Marine Planning Reference Group	Frank Prokop	5 meetings
State Reference Committee - Commonwealth Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program	Frank Prokop	3 meetings
State Water Forum	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
State Water Policy 13 Review Workshop	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
	Harry Vosper	2 meetings
Swan Catchment Council - Coastal and Marine Working Group	Kane Moyle	4 meetings
Swan River Trust Healthy Rivers Action Plan	Kane Moyle	2 meetings
	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
WA Marine Science Institute (WAMSI) Strategic Planning Committee	Frank Prokop	1 meeting
West Coast Demersal Scalefish Recreational Management Forum	Frank Prokop	2 meetings
	Craig Leatt-Hayter	2 meetings
	Jamie Chester	1 meeting
	Kane Moyle	1 meeting
Western Rock Lobster Puerulus Aquaculture Working Group	Kane Moyle	10 meetings
Western Rock Lobster Council Joint Meetings	Des Wood	2 meetings

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APPENDIX II: Recfishwest 2008 Election Policy

On behalf of the recreational fishing community of Western Australia 2008

The full policy has been published on the Recfishwest website. See Recfishwest WA State Election Policy 2008 for full details.

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APPENDIX III: Board Meeting Attendance

The Recfishwest Board of Management held ten Board meetings during the 2007/2008 year. Details of Board member's attendance are set out below.

Board Member	Board Meetings
Craig Leatt-Hayter	9
Norman Halse	8
Terry Fuller	10
Des Wood	10
Allan Bevan	2
Howard Gill	1
Jamie Chester	4
Mark Morris	6
Steven Gill	5
John Webber	7
Stephen Gilders	5
Harry Vosper	9
Joe Petrovich	10
Ben Patrick	0
Joff Weston (proxy AFTA)	1
Peter Blyth (Term completed Oct 07)	3
Craig Bibra (Resigned from Board Oct 07)	3
Keith Tocas (Resigned from Board Oct 07)	1

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APPENDIX IV: Metropolitan and Regional Fishing Clinics Report

In 2006, The Federal Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Eric Abetz launched a new Recfishwest initiative as part of the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program called, "Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs". Following the success of this inaugural program, Recfishwest was successful in gaining a further grant to allow this program to continue for a second year in 2007 and reach even more children.

The second round of funding from the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program came to an end in June 2008 with the completion of the "Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs" project and a final report has now been submitted.

The 2007 Northern Fishing Clinics Tour was run during August 2007 and included 21 clinics with over 600 participants. Townships visited included Carnarvon, Exmouth, Onslow, Karratha/Dampier, Port Hedland, Broome and Derby. I would like to thank Frank Prokop, Craig Leatt-Hayter, Keith Tocas, Con Costa, Kane Moyle, Kim Burton, Craig Bibra and Paul Willis for their help in yet another successful Northern Tour.

Recfishwest conducted during the last financial year, 32 metropolitan clinics with over 800 participants.

As part of National Youth Week 2008, Recfishwest in conjunction with the Onslow Youth Outreach Project and the Shire of Ashburton conducted another three day fishing clinic program in Onslow, 15th - 17th April 2008. These fishing clinics coincided with the official launch of the Onslow Youth Outreach Project.

The three day 'Gone Fishing' program provided 25 local children the opportunity to try their hand at fishing and learn new and exciting skills and techniques. The clinics promoted the important messages of 'FishSmart SunSmart' and 'Addicted to Fishing not Drugs'.

This program was again a resounding success, thanks largely to the excellent work of fishing clinic presenters Craig Bibra, Kim Burton and Paul Willis and the Shire of Ashburton's Youth and Community Development Officer, Anna Jamieson.

The 2008 Southern Fishing Clinics Tour was run during April and May and included 12 clinics and nearly 400 children. Townships visited during the eight day tour were Esperance, Albany, Manjimup, Harvey and Waroona. Many thanks to Frank Prokop, Con Costa, Alan Guthrie and Kim Burton for their assistance in making this Southern Tour successful.

Recfishwest held its first Pink Flyfishing Clinic - "Fish and Fly" at Point Walter on 28th November 2007 for 12 women recovering from breast cancer. Fly fishing is an excellent form of recovery exercise for breast cancer surgery. Internationally renowned fishing personality 'Reel Girl', Jeni Lerch conducted the clinic. Jeni is well known and highly respected in her field and provided expert tuition. I would also like to thank David Bell from the Saltwater Flyrodder's Association and Mike Roennfeldt for helping the girls with their fly fishing technique on the day.

The fishing clinic program again visited the south-west with two fishing clinics being held in Bremer Bay during January 2007 with a total of 41 participants. A fishing clinic was also held in Carnarvon in June 2007 with a total of 80 participants which was co-ordinated by Wally Dale with support from Recfishwest. Mark Halse co-ordinated support provided by Recfishwest for the Walpole Primary School's "Back to Nature Program".

2007/2008 has been another highly successful year for the Fishing Clinic Program. Relationships with major sponsor Healthway continue to be strong with an increase in our funding during the next financial year. Recfishwest is also exploring other potential funding avenues for continuation of the Northern and Southern Tours in 2009.

I would like to thank Kim Burton, Craig Bibra, Paul Willis, Terry Fuller, Alan Guthrie, Lisa Sharp and Justin Nowrojee for their fantastic work as Fishing Clinic Presenters. Their infectious attitude towards fishing and their ability to interact with clinic participants are what help make this program such a success.

Yvette Guy
Fishing Clinic Coordinator

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APPENDIX V: Commonwealth Government Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme - Recfishwest Final Reports

Project Reference Number: R4104

Project Title: Western Australian Young Future Leaders in Recreational Fishing

Name of Grantee: The Western Australian Recreational and Sport Fishing Council Inc.

Contact person and telephone number: Frank Prokop (08) 9246 3366

Introduction

The aim of Recfishwest's Young Future Leaders Program was to bring together a group of young people who had the potential to become the next generation of recreational fishing leaders. A forum and venue was selected where these recreational fishers could be educated and mentored by a group of experienced and recognised leaders in recreational fishing advocacy and management. This investment in personal development for a group of young recreational fishers, concerned about the management of their industry, would result in a group that could represent their industry in a wide variety of management, research and education roles associated with recreational fishing in the future.

Prior to the development of this program the recreational fishing industry was facing an increasing shortage of people willing and able to assume positions in advocacy and representation for the increasingly complex environment for which the industry impacts and is impacted upon.

Our motivation behind developing the Young Future Leaders Program was that the recreational fishing industry would not be able to achieve its full capacity without a succession plan to involve young people into advocacy roles. There has been a significant inter-generational change in attitudes towards sustainable recreational fisheries management. It is the younger generation that often brings a different way of thinking to issues and are the future of this industry.

In designing the program, Recfishwest recognised that fishing related personal development can be a low priority for people with other employment and family commitments. Therefore, it was extremely important that a location which was attractive; including some fishing activity was included in designing the program.

The Abrolhos Islands was chosen as the location to run the proposed program for several reasons; the islands are an iconic remote and unique recreational and commercial fishing location in Western Australia and is home to the world renowned western rock lobster fleet; the location is isolated with no external disturbances for the duration of the program; it provides the capacity to experience something that participants would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience.

Recfishwest received 35 applications through an expression of interest call, with 15 applicants being selected for positions on the program. The quality of the applicants was very high and the participants represented a good geographical mix of Western Australia. Of the 15 participants 2 were female and 6 were from regional areas. It is particularly in these two areas that the recreational fishing sector has struggled to service recreational fisheries management committee roles. Unfortunately, one selected participant withdrew due to work commitments.

Each participant was allocated a Mentor to provide guidance and assistance during and after the program. Mentors were specifically chosen for the program, with all having a wealth of knowledge and experience in fisheries management and recreational fishing advocacy.

Recfishwest is fortunate to have a good working relationship with the WA Department of Fisheries for this program, which allowed for the use of their Saville-Kent Research Facility at the Abrolhos Islands for the 5 day course. This state of the art facility proved to be an excellent venue for the program, providing a working environment isolated from distractions and in arguably one of the most valued recreational fishing destinations in Australia.

The program enlisted the services of Mr Ian Cartwright to facilitate and develop the 5 day program. Ian has many years experience of 'hands on' fisheries management in Australia and Overseas, including running the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania and being Deputy Director of the Forum Fisheries Agency in the South Pacific. His experience and knowledge were an invaluable resource in ensuring this program met its objectives.

Through an intensive 5 day program involving guest speakers with a wide breadth of knowledge in fisheries management the Young Future Leaders were given a series of thought provoking talks to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to influence the recreational fishing future.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the program were to:

•   Bring together the next generation of recreational fishing leaders in a forum where they will be educated and mentored by a group of experienced and recognised leaders in recreational fishing advocacy and management.

•   Provide participants with a workshop experience that will build their leadership, knowledge, skills and networks, and benefit the attainment of their life goals

•   Develop formal mentor relationship within the West Australian recreational fishing sector.

•   Inform participants of the challenges facing recreational fishing management and the role Recfishwest plays in government advocacy.

•   Through the participant's personal development, lay the foundations for maintaining a sustainable and rewarding recreational fishery industry into the future.

Final Project Report

1. What was your project trying to achieve?

During Recfishwest's strategic planning exercise in 2006, the Recfishwest Board identified that recreational fishing related personal development is a low priority. Recreational fishing is seen by many to be only as hobby/sport activity. It was established that the recreational fishing industry would not be able to reach its full capabilities unless we have an injection of youth and a clear succession plan for people to take on advocacy roles in recreational fishing.

One of the biggest impediments to young people increasing their involvement in fisheries management is a perceived lack of understanding of the fundamental issues. We aimed to bring together the next generation of recreational fishing leaders in a forum where they would be educated and mentored by a group of experienced and recognised leaders in recreational fishing advocacy and management. From their learnings and new found confidence fostered through the program, it was hoped that these people could fill important recreational fishing advocacy roles in the future.

Fisheries Management can be a daunting subject matter for many recreational fishers. In designing the program Recfishwest wanted to develop a short program that could teach the basic principles of fisheries management to a group of young future leaders in recreational fishing to allow them to constructively discuss a pathway forward for recreational fishing in Western Australia. It was also a goal to increase awareness of the complexities and differing perspectives that need to be considered in developing and assessing management strategies.

This journey in personal development was to be assisted by a formal Mentor relationship for each participant from a recognised Leader in fisheries management and/or advocacy.

Following the completion of the official program the Mentor's formally agreed to help the Young Future Leaders in their development by discussing personal goals and providing opportunities for them to take on a greater involvement in recreational fisheries management.

2. What has your project achieved?

The Young Future Leaders Program has been a huge success, with feedback from participants and mentors all being very supportive of the program and the outcomes it achieved.

Recfishwest believes the program has met the objectives set, with the recreational fishing industry now having a competent group of young recreational fishers that could easily step into a role representing the recreational fishing sector, be it a Management Advisory Committee (MAC), Recfishwest Board or Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC).

The program provided participants an intensive introduction on the basic principles of fisheries management as well as an insight into the views of the recreational, commercial and conservation sectors. In designing the program, Recfishwest believed it to be important that the next generation of leaders have an understanding of, and respect for others who share the fisheries resource.

The program also included lectures on leadership, consultative frameworks and government process, lobbying, fisheries compliance and research. In designing the program Recfishwest believed it important for the young future leaders to gain an insight to all these important operating processes in fisheries management. Participant's feedback from after the completion of the program indicated that they now have a much better understanding of what goes behind government decisions and how to go about influencing change.

Influencing government policy and affecting change can be a daunting process and the bureaucracy involved usually dissuades a number of young people with ideas and vision for their industry. Recfishwest wanted to provide examples of where "Champions" of the recreational fishing industry were able to influence government policy to the benefit of recreational fishing. By presenting examples of "Champions" it was hoped that it would provide inspiration for the young future leaders that they can make a difference.

A significant component of the Young Future Leaders Program involved the participants being spilt into three groups to work on a case study to develop a submission and presentation on Fisheries Management Paper 225 - Managing the Recreational Catch of Demersal Scalefish on the West Coast. This paper forms the basis of significant reforms to recreational fisheries management in Western Australia and was seen as a timely and highly relevant challenge for the developing young future leaders to test their newfound understanding of the breadth of issues involved.

The quality of each group's submission was exceptional and in comparison to other submissions developed by recreational fishing representatives who had not been exposed to the course, it would be second to only Recfishwest's submission, developed by full time professional staff, in terms of detail and consideration of issues. This was a significant achievement given the short time period the young future leaders had to work on this project. Their presentations on the final night highlighted their development over the course and their increased confidence to discuss these complicated issues in front of their peers and experts in fisheries management. Many of the participants have continued to meet to further refine their submissions in what is an ongoing management process.

The group of participants selected for the program was able to represent a good geographical mix of Western Australia from Kununurra to Albany and also included two female participants. Recfishwest has in the past struggled in its regional representation and representation from women. The participants from this program will help to fill a number of these gaps in the future.

Table 1: Young Future Leaders in Recreational Fishing 2008

Participant	City	Age
Frank Nicol	Kununurra	25
Paul Willis	Henley Brook (Perth)	29
Matthew Gillett	Willetton (Perth)	24
Peter Van Schoubroeck	Albany	26
Pete Berlinski	Rossmoyne (Perth)	29
Chris Jones	Claremont (Perth)	27
Mary Waldron	Broome	18
Justin Nowrojee	Queens park (Perth)	32
Michael Sawyer	Dunsborough	24
Greg Huebner	Kalamunda	24
Christopher Giles	York	18
Andrew Shuy	East Perth (Perth)	26
Danny Dyson	Bunbury	24
Lisa Hill	Sorrento (Perth)	27

Testimonials

"Thanks for including me in the Young leaders programme. Not only did I learn a lot about the purpose of the course it also has affected me in the way I think about other issues in my personal life."

"Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in the program. It was fantastic. I got home and couldn't stop smiling, I had a great time. It was thought provoking, challenging but also lots of fun."

"Thank you for the opportunity to be involved with the course, I learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the entire course. In my mind, the course was organised amazingly well, and the quality of speakers and the content was perfect. I would love to become involved in any way I can, from research to education and management."

Facilitator Ian Cartwright said "It was a great experience which I enjoyed immensely. I also learned a good deal about attitudes and understanding - to see all the lights come on in terms of just how hard fisheries management is was quite enlightening."

And

"Thanks very much for the opportunity to be part of the workshop. I found it stimulating and rewarding, if a little hard at times to juggle between providing sufficient information and assistance without blowing your minds. You all seemed to cope outstandingly well and I was thrilled with the standard of the presentations."

3. Did you encounter any difficulties while carrying out your project? What would you have done differently?

A common theme in feedback received from participants indicated that the program was very intensive and covered a wide array of material. The case study proved to be a significant challenge given the time allocated in the program, however, all groups worked late into the night to prepare their presentations and submissions. This highlighted the participant's dedication to the program and was heartening from Recfishwest's perspective.

During the program the facilitator and mentors felt that a number of the participants were struggling to complete their case studies in the allocated time. To allow this important task to be completed, we adapted the program on the final day to allow more time for the groups to complete their presentation and submission.

Although a number of participants identified the heavy workload as a negative aspect of the program, all conversely stated that the intensive schedule and high work load was necessary to address all the relevant information. In designing the course, Recfishwest was conscious not to have any flat spots in the program where participants could become bored. Recfishwest will take this feedback into consideration for any future leadership course.

The program was fortunate to have the services of Ian Cartwright to facilitate the course. With Ian's experience, he made sure the material was entertaining and thought provoking.

The planning for the Young Future Leader's Program was extremely well managed by a committee consisting of Craig Leatt-Hayer (Chairman of Recfishwest and Mentor), Kane Moyle (Policy Officer Recfishwest), Mark Pagano (Policy Officer Department of Fisheries), Kristy Saville (Policy Officer Department of Fisheries) and Greg Finlay, (Regional Manager Mid-west region including the Abrolhos Islands).

Advertising and selection processes began months before the program to enable the selected participants to make arrangements to be available for the duration of the course. The standard of applicants was outstanding, with many of the applicants being suitable for participation. An eligibility list was created for those people who had just missed out on selection. Nevertheless, one selected participant experienced significant difficulties in getting time off work. By the time it was clear that negotiations for time off were not successful, there was insufficient time to seek a replacement from the eligibility list. The course therefore proceeded with 14 participants. Personal circumstances are always going to be an issue when training volunteers, no matter how desirable the course design.

An additional difficulty arose in planning the part of the course where participants were exposed to fisheries research operations in the field. It was originally planned and costed to use the dedicated fisheries research vessel for this task. However, this vessel required elsewhere during the course and the larger Fisheries Patrol Vessel the PV McLaughlin was used in its place. The costs were greater to use this vessel, but savings had been found elsewhere in the budget to allow this boat to be used. There was an additional advantage in that participants were able gain a greater insight into at sea compliance issues with the patrol boat that would not have been possible with the research boat.

4. How has your project benefited the recreational fishing community (eg increased community awareness regarding sustainable fishing practices)?

The aim of the Young Future Leaders Program was to equip a group of young recreational fishers that can take on important advocacy roles in the future. The 14 participants from the program all have the potential to fill a role in recreational fishing advocacy in the future.

Lisa Hill has recently been appointed as a member of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC). RFAC provides advice to the Minister for Fisheries on recreational fishing issues and is a high level committee. Lisa continues to write her monthly column in Fishing WA magazine, but now with more of a focus towards fisheries management issues. Lisa has attended a number of Recfishwest's fishing clinics where her teaching training has been extremely useful.

Michael Sawyer was selected for the FRDC National Seafood Leadership Course and is working on program to develop an on-line recreational fishing data log-book. The project is generating a lot of interest amongst fisheries researchers and has huge potential. Michael is the first recreational participant to be selected for this course.

Chris Giles has been selected for work experience with the Department of Fisheries as part of his University studies in Aquatic Biology. His work ethic and demeanour impressed a number of the Department of Fisheries staff that attended the program.

Matt Gillett assisted Recfishwest in the development of the Release Weight DVD (also funded through the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme) and presented a segment that will appear on the DVD. Matt is also assisting presenting fishing clinics with Recfishwest.

All participants have carried on from the course and all have either put in individually or as part of a group a submission on the Minister's recommendations for West Coast demersal finfish management.

5. Has there been an increase in community use of the project site and/or project materials? If yes, describe.

The Young Future Leaders Program has been viewed as a major success amongst the recreational fishing industry. Not only have we received excellent feedback from those whom participated in the program, but the feedback from the fishing community and Department of Fisheries has been very supportive.

Recfishwest has provided support to Malcolm Poole (NSW) in the development of their Young Future Leaders Program to be run later this year at Lord Howe Island. Recfishwest has provided advice on the program development and the NSW program will be modelled on Recfishwest's Young Future Leader Program.

Kane Moyle was a participant in the National Young Future Leaders Project run by Recfish Australia in Darwin. As a result of that experience, he became a mentor for the Western Australian program and has since been successful in winning the FRDC Peter Dundas-Smith national award and will attend the American Society for Fish Biology conference in Ottawa Canada later this year. It is hoped that the Western Australian young future leaders would nominate for a national leadership program should it be run again.

The Young Future Leaders Program has also received a large amount of favourable coverage in fishing publications. Articles in Hotbite, Fishing WA and Western Australian Fishing Magazine have all promoted the program in a positive manner (articles attached). The outcomes of the program will also be published in the Department of Fisheries publication, Western Fisheries, in July 2008.

6. What follow-up activities are you intending to perform?

The success of this inaugural program and large number of applicants has prompted Recfishwest to investigate running the same program in 2009. The large number of applicants for the inaugural program has indicated that the interest and quality of candidates from the recreational fishing sector is readily available. With the end of Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme as a funding source, Recfishwest will need to source other funding avenues in the future. The Department of Fisheries has indicated it would provide a similar level of support for the program if it was to run again.

It is hoped that several participants from the inaugural course would be in a position to act as mentors for a future program.

Feedback from the participants after the program was that they would like to reconvene for a workshop 12 months after the completion of the program to discuss each other's progress and discuss recreational fishing issues. Recfishwest will host this workshop and run it in the style of a Management Advisory Committee (MAC).

The seven Mentors from the program have given an assurance to provide regular contact and guide the participants in their development over the next 12 months. Feedback from all participants since the course is that mentors have provided enormous assistance. Mentors will forward opportunities on to participants that suit their interest areas and represent a challenge.

The relationship developed with the Department of Fisheries Mentors has already opened many employment and work experience opportunities for a number of the participants with the Department of Fisheries.

Recfishwest now has a highly competent group of young future leaders in recreational fishing. Recfishwest will promote a number of further leadership development opportunities to the group to continue their development as the next generation of leaders.

7. Please attach any project photos, letters of recognition, newspaper articles, media events, publicity, survey feedback results and success stories.

Media Releases (2)
Media Stories
Hotbite (2)
Fishing Western Australia (2)
The Western Australia Fishing Magazine
Kimberley Rural Report ABC

Letters of recognition
Peter Millington, Chief Executive Officer, Department of Fisheries

Project Completion Date: 30 June 2008

Report completed by (name): Kane Moyle

Connection with Project: Policy Officer

Date: 12 June 2008

Release Weight Information Brochure and DVD

Project Reference Number: R5072

Project Title: Release Weight Information Brochure and DVD

Name of Grantee: Recfishwest

Contact person and telephone number: Mr Kane Moyle 08 9246 3366

Introduction

The release of marine fish has become increasingly important to recreational anglers. Fisheries regulations and management tools such as size limits, bag limits and closed seasons as well as a stronger conservation ethic has resulted in more fish being released. Unfortunately, poor handling and technique can result in many released fish dying from injuries sustained during their capture.

Many important demersal (bottom dwelling) reef species, such as dhufish, pink snapper and breaksea cod, are susceptible to pressure related injuries called barotrauma, when raised to the surface from depths of around 20 metres or more. A West Australian invention, the "Release Weight", was developed to minimise the affects of barotrauma. The Release Weight has been subsequently proven in tagging studies to be the best practice for releasing demersal species to ensure its post release survival.

The emergence of the Release Weight as a release technique resulted in Recfishwest producing an information brochure on its use in 2005. Due to Recfishwest's budgeting constraints only a limited number of these were able to be produced in the first instance. Increasing the popularity of the Release Weight amongst the recreational fishing community will only be possible if the benefits continue to be advertised to recreational fishers.

The aim of this program was to re-design Recfishwest's existing brochure, improving its content and making it more interesting as well as producing a short informative DVD on how to use the Release Weight and its benefits in releasing demersal finfish. The distribution of an information package on the Release Weight would help increase awareness of this important fishing equipment amongst recreational fishers. It is hoped in the future the Release Weight will become such an essential piece of fishing equipment that every recreational fishing boat will carry one.

Overall Objectives

•   Re-design and produce 20,000 copies of the Recfishwest Release Weight Brochure

•   Produce 5,000 copies of an instructional DVD on the Release Weight

•   Increase public awareness of the Release Weight as 'best practice' for the releasing of demersal fish.

Final Project Report

1. What was your project trying to achieve?

The objective of this project was to promote 'best practice' for the releasing of demersal finfish to ensure they have the best possible chance of post-release survival.

An invention by a concerned recreational angler, Garry Lilly, called the Release Weight has be studied by fisheries scientists and found to be the most effective release technique for many demersal finfish species in Western Australia.

The device is essentially a weighted barb-less hook that is connected to a fishing line to lower a fish back to the depth where it came from. The Release Weight functions by assisting fish to return to a depth where water pressure allows their swim bladder to revert to normal size.

Unfortunately public awareness of this new and innovating method of releasing demersal fish is not widely known amongst the recreational fishing community.

The aim of this project was to make the Release Weight widely recognisable amongst recreational fishers so that every boat based fisher has one and knows how to use it. To increase public awareness Recfishwest planned to produce a package of information that could convey the benefits of the Release Weight in an entertaining and informative manner.

2. What has your project achieved?

The project has met the objective of re-designing and reprinting 20,000 copies of the Release Weight brochure (See Appendix).

The re-design of the brochure has presented the benefits and importance of using a Release Weight in a more appealing and eye catching manner. The 20,000 copies produced of this brochure will allow for each tackle store in Western Australia as well as regional fisheries offices to have a collection of brochures to distribute amongst the recreational fishing public.

The project has also been successful in producing an instructional DVD on the "Release Weight", with 5,000 copies being produced.

Recfishwest is delighted with the quality of the DVD and the work the Australian Fishing Network has done in producing the DVD. We were able to capture all of the key shots to highlight the importance of using a Release Weight and the DVD portrays a short, but informative message on the importance of good fish handling and release techniques. The footage was able to be shot in one days fishing aboard Blue Juice Charters and an additional day of filming of interviews.

Recfishwest was also able to include the Infofish "Gently Does it DVD" as an additional menu item on the Release Weight DVD. This program has some additional information on released fish survival and provides a great extra for people that view the DVD.

It is hoped through these two outcomes that Recfishwest can meet its final objective of increasing public awareness of the Release Weight, so it becomes an essential item for recreational bottom fishers. The public awareness will be monitored by Recfishwest through its membership base and education/extension activities such as fishing clinics and boat shows.

3. Did you encounter any difficulties while carrying out your project? What would you have done differently?

Recfishwest encountered significant difficulties in organising a date to film the DVD. As the footage required for the DVD needed a number of bottom fish to be caught and released it was important that we had good weather to conduct the filming.

The filming was done by Jason Munn from Australian Fishing Network, which involved him having to travel from Melbourne to Perth for the filming. To allow for potential bad weather we needed to allow for a couple of days to do the filming. One of the days we had budgeted for filming aboard Salt Water Charters had to be cancelled due to bad weather. This involved a significant logistical challenge to organise another boat and crew for the following day when the weather would be reasonable enough to fish. As a result of Salt Water Charters being booked for the following day Recfishwest had to enlist the services of Blue Juice Charters at the last minute to accommodate the fishers and film crew.

The following day's weather was still a challenge for fishing, but the crew managed to catch the required amount of fish to get suitable footage. The turbid water and rough conditions meant that the underwater footage we had hoped to capture was of a poor quality. This meant that only a small amount of underwater footage could be used in the final production.

The production crew was still able to get some interesting footage of the Release Weight underwater by attaching an underwater camera lens to the line just above the Release Weight. This footage illustrated how the Release Weight quickly returns the fish to the bottom and was able to show the fish swimming away at the bottom. In the future this method would probably be the most effective method of capturing underwater footage.

4. How has your project benefited the recreational fishing community (eg increased community awareness regarding sustainable fishing practices)?

As a result of the outcomes of this project, Recfishwest has produced 20,000 Release Weight brochures and 5,000 DVD's. A package containing the DVD and brochure will be sent out to 71 tackle stores and regional fisheries offices around Western Australia. It is hoped that each tackle store can prominently display the brochure within their store and hand out a DVD when a Release Weight is sold. Many stores will also be running the DVD in-store as an education item for their customers.

The Release Weight has been scientifically proven to be the superior method for releasing demersal finfish. The promotion of this method will hopefully increase the number of boats that carry and use a Release Weight when bottom fishing. Recfishwest is hopefully that a Release Weight will become an essential part of fishing equipment where a fisher wouldn't leave the boat ramp without it. Recfishwest even went as far to recommend to the Minister as part of his review of the management for west coast demersal species that "any boat which is required to carry and EPIRB and has fishing gear onboard, should also be required to carry a device capable of being used as a release weight, including all commercial fishing boats with wetline entitlements."

5. Has there been an increase in community use of the project site and/or project materials? If yes, describe.

The public awareness of the Release Weight continues to grow as Recfishwest promotes this method of release as best practice for releasing demersal finfish. It is still too early to measure the impact of this project in terms of an increased use of Release Weights amongst the recreational fishing public. Recfishwest plans to gauge the demand for Release Weights over the coming months.

The number of Release Weights purchased can be monitored by the supplier, Sunset Sinker Supplies, since it is the only company that produces them. Recfishwest will be in contact with Sunset Sinker Supplies to see if demand for Release Weights has increased during the promotion period.

6. What follow-up activities are you intending to perform?

Recfishwest will monitor the demand for the brochures and when stocks become low, will order a reprint as demands require. We will endeavour to find funds within our existing budget to met reprinting costs of the brochure in the future. The project has provided Recfishwest with a master copy of the DVD and additional copies can be reproduced if required. The DVD will also be available on Recfishwest's website for people to view.

Recfishwest will continue to actively promote the use of Release Weights for all recreational fishers that fish for demersal species. Information items on the Release Weight will be made available at the boat shows and other events that Recfishwest attends. We will also continue to promote the Release Weight through the fishing media at every available opportunity.

Recfishwest's Policy Officer, Kane Moyle, has been successful in winning the FRDC Peter Dundas-Smith national award and will attend the American Society for Fish Biology conference in Ottawa Canada later this year. Kane will participate in an international panel session on barotrauma and present a paper on Recfishwest's work involving the Release Weight. The Release Weight brochure and DVD will prove to be valuable information tools at this event and provide an international exposure for this work that would otherwise not be possible. The extension and education work that Australia is doing on post-release survival of fish is regarded very highly internationally and this will be a great opportunity to further develop our standing amongst our peers.

7. Please attach any project photos, letters of recognition, newspaper articles, media events, publicity, survey feedback results and success stories.

Media Stories
Hotbite Magazine
Fishing Western Australia

Project Completion Date: 30 June 2008

Report completed by (name) Kane Moyle

Connection with Project: Project Manager

Date: 12 June 2008

 



 

Addicted to Fishing not Drugs fishing clinic

Project Reference Number: R4105

Project Title: Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs Fishing Clinics

Name of Grantee: The Western Australian Recreational and Sport Fishing Council Inc.

Contact person and telephone number: Frank Prokop (08) 9246 3366

Introduction

Recfishwest was granted funding for our "Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs" (AFND) initiative in Rounds 1 and 4 of the RFCG Programme. Recfishwest's fishing clinic program continues to be a huge success winning a Recfish Australia Award for Best Project or Initiative Encouraging Women and Young People's Participation in Fishing. Recfishwest was also a finalist for a Community Services Industry Award - Strengthening Rural and Remote Communities. Recfishwest's fishing clinic program was taken throughout the State of Western Australia educating children and youth aged 10 - 18 years of age about rudimentary fishing skills and safety. Importantly the program combines long-term mentoring and positive life skills with conservation education in one powerful and adaptable package.

Participants are empowered by a new, fun activity and positive life skills, such as creative decision-making, problem-solving, goal setting, patience, and camaraderie. Shared experiences with friends and family help children better communicate and interact with each other. They gain confidence and find a new sense of respect and responsibility for themselves, their friends and family, and their community.

Overall Objectives

Recfishwest enhanced its fishing workshop program incorporating:

(a) Fishing workshops for ages 10 to 18 and,

(b) Promotion of fishing workshops through metropolitan schools and community centres and in regional areas of WA for both children and adults.

Number of workshops

Metropolitan schools 33

Community centres 26

Regional areas- Northern (eg Carnarvon to Derby) and Southern tours (eg Mandurah to Esperance). 32

Participants in workshops were educated on:

a) general aquatic conservation and recognition of fish species

b) catch and release with SunSmart/ANSA/Recfishwest depth release weights

c) casting techniques and selection of bait and general rigging

d) the benefits of fishing to a healthy lifestyle

e) sun protection whilst fishing

f) the importance of fishing as a family activity

g) the benefits of talking as a family unit while fishing

h) recreational fishing as an alternate activity to taking drugs

OBJECTIVES

Recfishwest enhanced its promotion through goals:

•   Discouraged drug use amongst youths

•   Encouraged fishing as a family outdoor activity

•   Promoted the importance of sustainability of natural resources

•   Promoted good health and environmental practices within the fishing community

•   Promote the enjoyment of the recreational fishing experience and good fishing practices

•   To increase the use of sun protection measures used by recreational and sport fishers

•   Promoted good practice in prevention of skin cancer in adults.

•   Discouraged smoking in the recreational fishing community

To achieve these goals Recfishwest will:

•   Increase by 1% the youth participation in fishing as a leisure activity, with particular emphasis on regional communities through workshops.

•   Visit major regional centres throughout Western Australia.

•   Ensure that at least two workshops are held for youth at risk or Aboriginal persons per year.

•   Provide written evidence of meeting these goals and objectives including provision of testimonials.

TARGET GROUP

•   Youths aged between 10 and 18 with direct contact with approximately 3,000 youths and indirect contact through extension with 5,000.

•   Adult recreational and sport fishers who are the parents of these youths - with direct contact with approximately 500 and indirect contact with approximately 30,000.

Final Project Report

1. What was your project trying to achieve?

•   Discourage drug use amongst youths

•   Encourage fishing as a family outdoor activity

•   Promote the importance of sustainability of natural resources

•   Promote good health and environmental practices within the fishing community

•   Promote the enjoyment of the recreational fishing experience and good fishing practices

•   To increase the use of sun protection measures used by recreational and sport fishers

•   Promote good practice in prevention of skin cancer in adults.

•   Discourage smoking in the recreational fishing community

2. What has your project achieved?

The "Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs" Program has continued to grow from initial funding received in round one of the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme. The Recfishwest fishing clinic program was delivered to almost 1,400 children in regional locations state wide. The 2007/08 program included a southern and northern tour which covered regional areas from Esperance through to Derby, visiting 12 regional locations in Western Australia as well as the Perth Metropolitan region. A total of 65 school clinics were completed during the program with another 26 community based clinics in regional and metropolitan based areas. Another 40,000 contacts were indirectly exposed to the Recfishwest Fishing Clinics messages.

The 2007/08 program also included two visits to the remote regional community on Onslow for a week long program as part of National Youth Week 2007 and 2008. These clinics were embraced by the Onslow community and had additional support from local mining companies. This facilitated Recfishwest being able to make a dedicated visit to this community outside of its annual Northern Tour.

The program also visited the isolated inland Warralong Aboriginal Community for a clinic as part of the Northern Tour. This is first time the program has been delivered to a remote Aboriginal Community. Isolated regional locations such as Onslow and Warralong Aboriginal Community were particularly grateful for Recfishwest's visit.

The children in such locations are isolated from social interactions with large numbers of people, and therefore some have difficulties communicating effectively. The Shire of Ashburton has enlightened us to the reality of drugs being a relentless problem in small isolated locations, and the presence of Recfishwest for a longer duration has had far reaching positive effects on this community. Our presence has encouraged an alternative activity to drug usage by promoting and teaching children the skills of fishing.

The central message of 'Addicted to Fishing Not on Drugs' was delivered in an informal manner, encouraging fishing as an alternative, healthy lifestyle choice. Recfishwest endeavoured to send a fun message for fishing by promoting fishing as a healthy lifestyle alternative with the added opportunity of spending quality time with friends and family and enjoying the outdoors. Fishing was highlighted as an activity which can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of intellectual or athletic ability or social background. It promotes increased communication through discussions with family and friends whilst fishing, and increased confidence in a child's ability to participate in and succeed at all or at least some part of the activity.

The capacity to reach children in remote locations was well received by teachers, parents and other town officials. This gave children the opportunity to try the new skill of fishing with a rod and reel, as many children in remote areas had only ever fished with hand lines. Several children revelled in the opportunity to accomplish and become skilled in a new activity.

Sustainable fishing, including good health and environmental practices are encouraged through Recfishwest fishing clinics to promote an enjoyable recreational fishing experience.

Recreational fishers have been identified as a high risk group which are subject to UV direct from sun and reflection from water.

The SunSmart message was also conveyed as a complementary message, to encourage the use of sun protection measures by recreational fishers and ensure SunSmart behaviour is adopted to prevent the risk of skin cancer. The anti-cancer message was also conveyed through discouraging smoking and providing smoke-free locations for the clinics.

As part of its Health Policy, Recfishwest promotes fishing clinics as smoke free events. Participants, teachers, parents, helpers and onlookers are not permitted to smoke or use tobacco products.

Regional Clinic Locations 2007/2008

Date/Time	Location	School/Group	Contact Details	No. of Participants
14 April 07	Windy Harbour	The Willo Cup	Barry Ford 9772 1241	50
16 April 07 2 Clinics	Onslow	National Youth Week Shire of Ashburton	Anna Jamieson 9184 6001	52
17 April 07 2 Clinics	Onslow	National Youth Week Shire of Ashburton	Anna Jamieson 9184 6001	52
18 April 07 2 Clinics	Onslow	National Youth Week Shire of Ashburton	Anna Jamieson 9184 6001	52
3 May 07 1 - 3pm	AQWA Jetty	Sevenoaks Senior College	Beverley Smith 93565 4943 + 1 teacher	15
8 May 07 2 Clinics 12.10 - 1.10pm 1.10 - 2.20pm	Fremantle Wharf	Corpus Christi College	Brian Hurn 9310 0837 + 2 teachers	30
9 May 07 2.30 - 4.30pm	AQWA Jetty	Helena Valley Primary School	Rod Mifflin 9294 1062 + 2 teachers/2 parents	36
23 May 07 3.30 - 5.30pm	Woodmans Point Jetty	Hamilton SHS Emergency Services	Tristan Eastwood 9314 0325 + 2 teachers/2staff	30
2 June 07	Carnarvon	Carnarfin	Wally Dale	80
7 June 07 9.30 - 11.30am	Point Peron	Cottesloe Primary School	Ian Bersan 9384 2426 +3 teachers/1 parent	27
14 June 07 4 - 6pm	AQWA Jetty	Lake Joondalup Baptist College	Kylie Nicholson 9300 7444 + 4 teachers	24
16 Jul 07 10 - 12	Bicton Baths Jetty	Parent and Child Community Clinic	Craig Bibra 0419 991 869 + 12 parents	26
18, 19 Jul 07 9.30 - 4.30pm	Claremont Showgrounds	WA Education Expo	Luke George 9285 2167	1500
7 Aug 07 12.15 - 2.15	NORTHERN TOUR Carnarvon	East Carnarvon Primary	Stewart Harris 9941 1443 + 1 teacher	30
8 Aug 07 10 - 12noon	NORTHERN TOUR Carnarvon	East Carnarvon Primary	Stewart Harris 9941 1443 + 1 teacher	30
8 Aug 07 1 - 3pm	NORTHERN TOUR Carnarvon	Carnarvon Primary School	Belinda Reid 9941 1425 + 1 teacher	30
10 Aug 07 4 Clinics 8.30 - 1.30pm	NORTHERN TOUR Exmouth	Exmouth District High School	Caryl Carr 9949 2633 + 4 teachers	167
13 Aug 07 2 Clinics 8.30, 11am	NORTHERN TOUR Onslow	Onslow School	Scott Beatty 9184 6062 + 2 teachers	60
14 Aug 07 2 Clinics 10am, 3pm	NORTHERN TOUR Onslow	Shire of Ashburton Reunion	Anna Jamieson 9184 6001	30
16 Aug 07 9 - 11am	NORTHERN TOUR Karratha	St Lukes High School	Paul Delane 91441 081 + 1 teacher	20
16 Aug 07 12 - 2pm	NORTHERN TOUR Karratha	Millars Well Primary	Carolyn Nunn 91852 400 + 1 teacher	20
17 Aug 07 9 - 11am	NORTHERN TOUR Karratha	St Lukes High School	Paul Delane 91441 081 + 1 teacher	20
18 Aug 07	COMMUNITY CLINIC Karratha	Nickol Bay Sportfishing Club	Justin Neil Parent helpers	20
20 Aug 07 2 Clinics 8, 10.30am	NORTHERN TOUR Port Hedland	Hedland Senior High School	Graham Gordon 9172 1244 + 2 teachers	60
21 Aug 07 11 - 1pm	NORTHERN TOUR Port Hedland	Warralong Aboriginal Community	Kate McKenzie 9176 4925	25
23 Aug 07 11 - 1pm	NORTHERN TOUR Broome	Broome Primary School	Geoff Perry 9192 1352 + 1 teacher	30
26 Aug 07	NORTHERN TOUR Broome	Broome Sportfishing Club	Sara Hennessy	30 Adults 20 children
27 Aug 07 9 - 11am	NORTHERN TOUR Broome	Holy Rosary	Brendon Lawler 9191 1283 + 1 teacher	35
27 Aug 07 11.30-1.30pm	NORTHERN TOUR Broome	Derby District School	Robyn Willey 9193 1035 + 1 teacher	30
6 Oct 07	Denmark	Denmark 10,000		1,000
11 - 14 Oct 07	Mandurah Marina	Mandurah Boat Show		26,000
24 Oct 07 8.30 - 10.30am	AQWA Jetty	Balcatta Senior HS	Bree Moulder 9345 8276 + 1 teacher	16
25 Oct 07 8.30 - 10.30am	AQWA Jetty	Balcatta Senior HS	Bree Moulder 9345 8276 + 1 teacher	16
14 Nov 07 2 Clinics 12.30, 2pm	Rottnest Army Jetty	Hillcrest Primary School	Richard Glowacki 9370 2330 + 6 teachers	46
23 Nov 07 1 - 2.30pm	AQWA Jetty	MLC	Mandy Coombes 9384 4000 + 3 teachers	23
28 Nov 07 9.30 - 12.30	Point Walter	Pink Flyfishing Clinic - Community Clinic	Frank Prokop 9246 3366 + 3 assisting	12
29 Nov 07 9 - 11am	AQWA Jetty	Weld Primary School	Rick Payne 9276 5891 + 3 teachers	23
30 Nov 07 9 - 11am	AQWA Jetty	Poseidon Primary School	Damien Moralee + 1 teacher	24
4 Dec 07 10.30 - 12.30pm	Claremont Jetty	Christ Church Grammar	Emma Whiting 9442 1724 + 2 teachers/2 parents	27
5 Dec 07 10.30 - 12.30pm	Claremont Jetty	Christ Church Grammar	Jerome Griffin 9442 1589 + 2 teachers/2 parents	27
7 Jan 08 9 - 11am	Rottnest Army Jetty	Rottnest Island Education - Community Clinic	Jennifer Howell 9372 9790 + 14 parents	28
14 Jan 08 9 - 11am	Rottnest Army Jetty	Rottnest Island Education - Community Clinic	Jennifer Howell 9372 9790 + 10 parents	23
25 Jan 08 9 - 11am	Rottnest Army Jetty	Rottnest Island Education - Community Clinic	Jennifer Howell 9372 9790 + 10 parents	25
25 Jan 08 10 - 12	Sandy Beach	Altone Park Leisure Centre - Community Clinic	John Langley 9377 6181 + 4 helpers	35
1 Feb 08 9 - 11am	Rottnest Army Jetty	Rottnest Island Education - Community Clinic	Jennifer Howell 9372 9790 + 12 parents	20
11 Feb 08 2 Clinics 9.30, 12 noon	Point Walter	Rostrata Primary School	Dan Malone 9457 9455 + 3 teachers	60
12 Feb 08 2 Clinics 9.30 & 12 noon	Point Walter	Rostrata Primary School	Dan Malone 9457 9455 + 2 teachers	60
13 Feb 08 2 Clinics 9.30 & 12 noon	Point Walter	Rostrata Primary School	Dan Malone 9457 9455 + 2 teachers	54
14 Feb 08 2 Clinics 8 & 9.40am	Woodman Point	St Hildas	Dan Mornement 9285 4509 + 2 teachers	50
23 Feb 08	McCallum Park	Swanfish	Don Cox
2 Mar 08	Lancelin	Lancelin Coastal Day & RL Festival	Heather Hatch	1,500
13 Mar 08 9.30 - 11.30am	AQWA Jetty	St Gerards Catholic School	Arletta Ralph 9349 8706 + 2 teachers	25
3 Apr 08 2 Clinics 9 & 12	Woodman Point	MLC	Gary Howlett 0427 383 536 + 2 teachers	50
3 Apr 08 2 Clinics 9.30 & 1.30pm	Rottnest Army Jetty	St Mary's Anglican School	Rachel Newman 9409 7279 + 6 teachers	52
15 - 17 April 08	Onslow	National Youth Week Shire of Ashburton	Anna Jamieson 91846 107	40
23 April 08 9.30 - 11.30	Rottnest Army Jetty	Rottnest Island Authority	Kym Phillips 9372 9790 + 10 parents	20
26 April 08	Denmark	Willo Cup	Barry Ford	46 Adults 19 Children
29 April 08 2 Clinics 9.30 & 12.30	SOUTHERN TOUR Esperance Jetty	Castletown Primary	Pauline Grewar 9071 4852 + 2 teachers	60
30 April 08 2 Clinics 9 & 11.30am	SOUTHERN TOUR Esperance Jetty	Nulsen Primary	Gail Anderson 9071 4466 + 2 teachers/5 parents	60
1 May 08 9.30 - 11.30am	SOUTHERN TOUR Albany Town Jetty	Mt Lockyer Primary	Steve Faulkner 9841 1166 + 3 teachers	30
1 May 08 12.30 - 2.30pm	SOUTHERN TOUR Albany Town Jetty	Albany Primary	Leigh Sheldon 9842 7400 + 2 teachers/4 parents	30
2 May 08 2 Clinics 9 & 10.45am	SOUTHERN TOUR Albany Town Jetty	Yakamia Primary	Paul Murray 9841 7533 + 2 teachers	60
5 May 08 9.30 - 11.30	SOUTHERN TOUR A & N Fontinini Fruit & Nut Farm, Manjimup	East Manjimup Primary	Gordon Roper + 2 teachers/2 parents	32
5 May 08 1 - 3pm	SOUTHERN TOUR A & N Fontinini Fruit & Nut Farm, Manjimup	Kearnan College	Paul Watson 9771 1700 + 1 teacher	30
6 May 08 9 - 11am	SOUTHERN TOUR Harvey Dam, Harvey	Harvey Primary School	Simon Philp + 1 teacher	30
6 May 08 1 - 2.30pm	SOUTHERN TOUR Drakesbrook Dam, Waroona	St Joseph's School	Vicki Hodgson 97331 069 + 2 teachers	23
14 May 08 2 Clinics 10 & 2pm	Woodman Point	St Geromes	Siobhon Runge 9499 9500 + 2 teachers/3 parents	60
22 May 08	Walpole	Walpole Primary School	Mrs Flett/Garry Muir 9840 1020 + 2 teachers	30
31 May 08	Carnarvon	Carnarvon Community CARNARFIN	Wally Dale	80
11 June 08 9.30 - 11.30am	Point Peron	Cottesloe Primary School	Ian Bersan 9384 2426 + 2 teachers	18
18 June 08 1 - 3pm	AQWA Jetty	Hillary Primary School	Shaun Geddes 9307 6365	22

3. Did you encounter any difficulties while carrying out your project? What would you have done differently?

A visit to isolated inland Warralong Aboriginal Community during the 2007 Northern Tour (a clinic on the 2006 Northern Tour was cancelled due to a severe water crisis) saw a dry clinic held here. The Warralong Aboriginal Community is 45 minutes from the main highway making fishing opportunities limited. For that reason Recfishwest opted for a dry clinic. This was a very worthwhile clinic since the children had little knowledge about fishing regulations or our Addicted to Fishing Not Drugs and Sunsmart messages. Most of the children were not familiar with rods and reels (handlines are mostly used) and had never seen gear such as burley cages and soft plastic artificial lures.

Now having visited the Community, if a clinic was to be held here for the next Northern Tour - 2008, we would try to encourage fishing from the De Grey River.

4. How has your project benefited the recreational fishing community (eg increased community awareness regarding sustainable fishing practices)?

Recfishwest regional fishing clinics raise community awareness on several aspects of sustainable fishing practices.

Each clinic is aimed at encouraging children to participate and enjoy a fun, new recreational activity with their family and friends which helps them to achieve positive life skills. The shared experiences of fishing help children and youths better communicate and interact with their families and each other. They also have the opportunity through fishing to gain confidence and find a new sense of respect and responsibility for themselves, their community and their environment.

Recfishwest encourages fishing to be a fun pastime, and not focussed solely on catching as many fish as possible. Therefore it is important to educate participants and helpers on catch care, and best handling methods for fish to achieve high survival rates with released fish. Children are encouraged to treat all fish with care, using a wet rag or wet hands to handle the fish whilst removing the hook and not place the fish on hot surfaces.

Fishing regulations such as bag and size limits are discussed, with reference to the reasoning behind each limit. Regional locations with high aboriginal populations are benefited by the understanding behind why such regulations are in place, and why undersize or 'pan-size' fish should be thrown back. Catching only what you need to eat is reinforced in each fishing clinic to ensure children don't exceed bag limits or use them as a target to measure their enjoyment of the experience.

The Recfishwest fishing clinics also highlight the need to consider safety whist fishing, as no fish is worth a life. Notifying others of where you plan to fish and expected return time is important before leaving to go fishing. Students are advised of some of the dangers to be aware of whilst fishing such as unexpected waves, slippery rocks and dangerous marine life.

5. Has there been an increase in community use of the project site and/or project materials? If yes, describe.

Recfishwest surveys returned from participating schools indicate there has been an increase in the number of youth taking up fishing as a recreational activity. Contact with participating schools and community groups suggest that children who don't normally fish have taken up fishing as a result of the fishing clinic. Others reported an increase in enjoyment and engagement of students in health and marine science topics following the fishing clinics.

Recfishwest keeps an up-to-date website, highlighting photos of students who have caught fish or demonstrated positive behaviour during our fishing clinics. Our website is very popular for community members to browse at photos and also remain updated with other current recreational fishing issues.

6. What follow-up activities are you intending to perform?

A Recfishwest survey and photographs of relevant classes were emailed to all schools who participate in fishing clinics on regional tours as a follow up and courtesy email. This survey has been designed for quick completion to ensure a high number are returned for our records. Several schools have also been contacted by phone to discuss any recommendations teachers may have for improvements to the structure of our fishing clinics.

Most schools that are visited during the Northern and Southern Tours indicate that they would involve Recfishwest in their school programs again. There are many Metropolitan schools that contact us each year to arrange the fishing clinics for their students which have become a regular excursion for their semester programs.

Follow up Regional Tours in 2008 would be extremely beneficial to enable reinforcement of the messages conveyed at the clinics.

Many remote regional locations are not regularly visited by touring activities and are susceptible to drug problems. The ability for Recfishwest to return to such locations and reinforce fishing as a fun alternative activity would have far reaching effects on the children participating. The Shire of Ashburton has highlighted a problem with 'once off' visits from outside sources unable to influence and make a difference in the children's lives from one visit. A regular annual visit and fishing event from Recfishwest would allow the opportunity to reinforce the positive messages and allow the children to learn more refined angling techniques.

7. Please attach any project photos, letters of recognition, newspaper articles, media events, publicity, survey feedback results and success stories.

Project Completion Date: 30 June 2008

Report completed by (name): Frank Prokop

Connection with Project: Executive Director

Date: 12 June 2008























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This page prepared on 24 October 2008.