Media Statement
Western Australian excellence recognised at National Recreational Fishing Awards

17 November 2006

"Western Australia won two prestigious awards at the inaugural national Recfishing awards which recognise the contributions and excellence to recreational fishing throughout Australia." Recfishwest Executive Director Frank Prokop said today.

"A total of six awards were made and Western Australia won two of the awards and was a finalist in two other categories, giving Recfishwest and recreational fishing in Western Australia the greatest recognition of any state."

Recfishwest has praised Mr Greg Jenkins of Challenger TAFE who won the award for the 'Best Recreational Enhancement Project' with a study into the population and benefits of restocking the Blackwood River system with black bream. Greg has cooperated with recreational fishers for many years, having been the key driver of the restocking program in the Swan River several years ago.

"This award recognises the personal contribution of Greg Jenkins to practical research outcomes and Challenger TAFE both as a research and aquaculture facility.

Recfishwest also won the award for "Best project or initiative encouraging women & young people's participation in fishing" for it's Sunsmart, Fishsmart program.

"Recfishwest has had a long standing and highly successful partnership with Healthway and this award recognizes the quality outcome as the best in the nation." Mr Prokop said. "Recfishwest was also a recent finalist in the WA Healthway awards for a project showing innovation and strong community participation."

Recfishwest praised the state government for making additional fishing clinic funding available prior to the last state election that enabled the expansion of the project.

"Recfishwest has also been successful in gaining Commonwealth funding through the Recreational fishing community grants scheme for an Addicted to Fishing not Drugs program so we are hoping to be able to encourage more kids to be active and fish with their families in the future."

Recfishwest also congratulated finalists Terry Fuller in the 'Volunteer of the Year' category and Frank Prokop in the 'Non-Government Administrator of the Year' categories.

"These awards recognize the contribution of recreational anglers, Challenger TAFE and Recfishwest to quality management at the national level. We are extremely proud of these achievements." Mr Prokop concluded.

Ends

Media contact: Frank Prokop Executive Director Recfishwest 0418 499322


THE WINNERS

Category 1: best research project with recreational outcomes

"The ecology of Mulloway" by Matt Taylor

Matt Taylor's project "The ecology of Mulloway" Argyrosomus japonicus that provided the essential information for a generic model of the environmental impact of restocking NSW estuaries with juvenile (fingerling) mulloway. This numerical model is simple, providing a guide to the appropriate density of any fingerlings that should be released taking into account likely survival and growth rates, the area of preferred habitat, their diet and consumption rate.

Category 2: best recreational enhancement project "Restocking the Blackwood River Estuary (WA)" by Greg Jenkins Project - "Restocking the Blackwood River Estuary (WA)" with black bream through a stock assessment of black bream in the estuary. Recreational fishers were closely involved in the project. The project undertook an assessment of black bream in the estuary and determined that they were highly depleted. 220,000 juvenile bream were cultured using over 100 brood stock captured from the Blackwood River.

Category 3: best project or initiative encouraging women & young people's participation in fishing Recfishwest Sunsmart Fishing Clinic Program These Recfishwest initiated clinics have reached over 3,000 children in metropolitan and regional WA and have become an annual event. The clinic program encourages messages of sustainable fishing, respect for the marine environment and principles of catch and release. The clinics have been well received by the many local communities visited and have become a festival of fishing for many families.

Category 4: volunteer of the year

Bob Audsley

Bob is a volunteer with the NSW Fishcare Volunteer program and Botany Bay leader. Among other things Bob has been instrumental in implementing the Endeavour High senior school fishing for sport volunteer mentor program and instilling sport fishing goals and aims in teenage anglers. He undertakes training himself annually assists and trains new volunteers. He is a tireless volunteer totally committed to ensuring kids get out from behind the computer and go fishing

Category 5: non government administrator of the year

John Harrison

John has a wealth of experience in advocacy and representational roles within the recreational fishing industry. John was the National Executive Director of Recfish Australia, then the Executive Officer of the recreational fishing peak body in NT, and is currently the CEO of Recfish Australia. John was instrumental in having Recfish Australia recognised as a representative body of FRDC.

Category 6: Leadership

John Harrison

John was instrumental in Australia hosting the 3rd Recreational Fishing World Conference in Darwin. John was President of Recfish Australia prior to becoming a director of the FRDC Board, is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Currently as CEO he continues to look to the future and has sourced funding for programs and initiatives that will develop and support the continuation of advocates and qualified people in the Recfishing industry.




This page last updated November 2006.