Two levels of bursary will be provided. The main bursary will fund the full attendance costs of emerging leaders (excluding some opt-in activities), with a smaller bursary to support the attendance of existing leaders.

Pre-Conference social gathering and networking:
Conference mentors will create a private social media group with successful applicants to begin introductions and create a casual ‘hub’ for contact and socialising. Mentors will initiate and prompt engagement within the group to build rapport. Closer to the conference, the group will meet online prior for a more formal introduction, led by mentors. In this meeting, attendees will:
-Will briefly introduce themselves (ideally with a recent brag photo/clip) and give an overview of their rec fishing environment, including an example of a conference theme they think they/their area do well and another they see as needing improvement.
-Identify keynote speakers or high-profile conference attendees that they would particularly like to engage with.
-Discuss how they can make the most of the conference, both individually and as a group. This will include developing strategies to maximise group coverage of the conference, means of comparing notes (OneNote etc) and the kind of outputs they think would benefit the broader rec fishing community.
-work with mentors to develop a conference action plan, encompassing all the above discussion.

This will be used by mentors and organizers to frame up attendee activities and help facilitate networking events during the conference.

During conference
Delegates will be tasked broadly with:
-Participating in the program and associated events and meetings (following pre-conference co-development with mentors as above).
-Completing pre-work assigned by mentors to ensure they get the most out of participation.
-Demonstrate initiative to grow their networks by directly engaging key conference delegates.
-Collaboratively recording insights from participation for use in developing key outputs (see Post conference below).
-Develop/extend communications outputs to help those not able to attend the event to understand key insights.

Post conference
Delegates will
-Reflect on pre-conference expectations and goals, and identify future actions for further professional growth.
-Contribute towards development of a shared formal synthesis report, that summarises key insights, opportunities for adoption in an Australian context, and strategic gaps.
-Meet with ARFF/FRDC Research subcommittee to share insights and inform future prioritisation discussions.
-Evaluate results from extension of communication outputs developed and disseminated by the group.

The fishing industry in WA and Offshore renewable sector has the opportunity to develop and set a framework for how the industries will work side-by-side to build long term collaborative relationship. Currently, the offshore renewable sector has clearly defined statutory basis, however no marine spatial planning has been provided, to date, and no statutory authority or priority policy that allows or considers the fishing industry. Exclusions zone around infrastructure ultimately claims authority over the water with fishers excluded. In Scotland, 10 years has passed since the establishment of the first offshore wind farm and the Scottish Fishermans Federation are still grappling with the impacts from this industry. In Scotland, first it was the oil and gas sector, then decommissioning and now offshore renewable, so there are real opportunities to learn from overseas and our own WA experiences to work towards developing a framework, to avoid ongoing conflict.

The fishing industry in WA is a defender of a healthy marine environment and is supportive of low carbon emissions, sustainable marine environments and aquatic resources, with the fishing industry also playing one of the most important roles for the community by providing food security. There is currently insufficient protection for the fishing industry with existing plans, legislation, tools and mechanisms bringing balance to some industries and not others. However, in Australia we have an opportunity before wind farms are placed in Australian waters to adequately understand the science of the impacts, by reviewing the literature and learning from other jurisdictions, to provide evidence-based decision-making outcomes for both sectors.

A framework is required that values and protects a legitimate, sustainable and long-established fishing industry which remains at the core of our coastal communities and contributes to our national food security. This new framework will work to provide a key role for the fishing industry in marine spatial planning, particularly in relation to offshore renewable sector and we can jointly understand the potential impacts, co-existence opportunities and avoid displacement to ensure the long-term economic viability of the fishing industry remains.

A full assessment of the spatial squeeze that restricts fishing throughout WA needs to be understood to assess cumulative impacts and avoid displacement of the fishing industry. There is a clear need to understand the potential effects associated with offshore renewable projects and assess how fishing industries can co-design or coexist. If displacement is unavoidable an established compensation process may need to be developed. This project will therefore work with State and Commonwealth Governments to establish important marine spatial planning principles for the fishing industry.