Highlights for 2010/11
2010/11 has been a time of progress for the recreational fishing sector. A number of important Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) initiatives commenced during this period to underpin further development of recreational fishing in Australia. An emphasis on education and leadership was a notable feature of R&D investment, which will be sustained into the future to help to build capacity within our sector.
In 2008 the then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) formed the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC). Part of the role of this group has been development of a National Recreational Fishing Industry Development Strategy (RFIDS). Following extensive consultation with recreational fishing interests around Australia this culminated in the release of the document “Recreational fishing in Australia – 2011 and beyond: a national industry development strategy” in 2011. As well as providing strategic guidance for the future of recreational fishing the Australian Government allocated $1.7m to projects indentified as high priority within the Strategy. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) has been contracted by DAFF to develop and implement these projects. Recfishing Research is playing a key role in providing advice to FRDC relating to the development of these projects, and will continue to monitor their delivery to ensure achievement of desired outcomes.
As well as being identified as priority projects under the RFIDS the following projects address a number of RD&E priorities identified within the Recfishing Research Business Plan. Projects 1-7 are being commissioned and managed by FRDC while projects 8-10 are commissioned and managed by DAFF and ABARES.
The projects are:
1. A coordinated national data collection for recreational fishing in Australia
2. National education program
3. Identifying the health and well-being benefits of recreational fishing
4. Expanding the future leaders program
5. A national conference on recreational fishing
6. Development of a climate change implications paper for recreational fishers
7. A national program for the roll-out of Angel Rings
8. Improving consultations between government and the recreational fishing sector
9. Developing a methodology for obtaining regular, statistically robust estimates of
recreational and charter fishing catch of Southern Bluefin Tuna in Australian
waters
10. Monitoring the recreational take of Shark species in Australian waters.
The FRDC continues to invest significantly in the development of Australia’s recreational fishing industry. Recfishing Research continues to play an important role in articulating RD&E priorities for the recreational sector since its formation in 2005, which has helped to influence a general trend of increased investment in RD&E initiatives during that period.
