4 results
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-505
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Australia's National Recreational Fishing Conference 2017

Following on from the success of the 2012 and 2015 National Recreational Fishing Conferences, the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation was successful in securing a funding grant from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) to deliver a National Recreational Fishing Conference...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF)
TAGS
Recreational Fishing
Media
Fisheries Management
Conference
Communications

Tackle Box - Fishing at home during Covid 19

Project number: 2019-213
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $70,000.00
Principal Investigator: Adam J. Martin
Organisation: Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF)
Project start/end date: 14 Oct 2020 - 31 Aug 2021
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Recreational Fishing
Mental Health
Innovation
Habitat
Economic

Need

The ARFF Tackle Box project is funded through the ‘our marine parks’ grants funded by Parks Australia. The project aims to develop a recreational fishing app to collect data from scheduled recreational fishing competitions around Australia with the aim of being able to provide data on the interactions of recreational fishers with Australia’s Commonwealth Marine Parks. So far, the application has 1049 unique users, used for 9 fishing events, and has had data input for 1905 fish and 85 Photo only competition entries.
A real and meaningful opportunity exists for ARFF to lead the national recreational fishing community by introducing some simple retooling of the ARFF Tackle Box app and get on the front foot. There will be a push from some groups to keep people fishing but the reality is we need to be responsible right now. At this point, I think this is a moment FRDC can shine as well by supporting with funding as I am told there is considerable funds still available with the Rec Fish Research budget. Also, the government has subtly announced fiscal stimulus packages for sports and arts soon to keep the population engaged and there maybe potential to tap into both sporting/recreation and mental health funding. We have received offers of help to apply for these funding opportunities by professionals in these fields when they become available.
The proposal is to revise the current model and focus on the stash of data that exists already on people’s phones and keeping people engaged at home so that when the crisis passes, they are ready to go on our network. Capitalising on the low hanging fruit without fishers actively fishing and easily reach a user target of ten thousand people in a matter of weeks and potentially One hundred thousand users within 6 months without leaving home. This consists of 5 key elements:

• Fantasy/Photo only competition where people submit what they have on their phones from previous fishing trips before ARFF’s “quarantine at home/fish within the rules” policy came into effect.
• Community voting, engagement rather than “scoreboards”. It actively engages the community without the need to leave home.
• Keeping people connected with regular briefings and interactions with the states and regio

Objectives

1. To further develop the Tackle box project/application (funded by Parks Australia) to connect recreational fishers during the COVID-19 situation
2. To use the extended platform to educated recreational fishers on the relevance of Government measures to recreational fishing, ensuring those that should not be fishing don’t and those that can know under what conditions they can.
3. To extend FRDC information through the new platform including advertising of the current national social and economic survey and extending of results and information relevant as they become available. Extend other relevant project information in this time such as Tuna Champions, fish handling practices, habitat rehabilitation, safety etc.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-6484281-1-4
Authors: Adam Martin Stefan Sawynok and Bill Sawynok
Final Report • 1.79 MB
2019-213-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project examined the impact of Covid-19 on recreational fishing using a citizen science approach. The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) teamed up with Infofish Australia Pty Ltd to use recaptures of tagged fish in Queensland and fishing competitions around Australia in novel ways to assess the impact by comparing data from 2020 with 2019.

National Recreational Fishing Forum Series (2025-2029)

Project number: 2024-048
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $300,000.00
Principal Investigator: Cassie Price
Organisation: Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF)
Project start/end date: 27 Mar 2025 - 31 Aug 2029
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Leadership
Conference
Capacity Building

Need

ARFF proposes to run a 1-day National Recreational Fishing Forum on Tuesday 22nd July 2025. With the set up and additional meetings around recreational fishing to be held on Wed 23rd, the AFTA Trade Show held on Thurs 24th, Fri 25th and Saturday 26th. Allowing participants to travel to the event on Monday 21st and home on Sunday 27th (if not prior). Followed by Annual events in the two years following.

Target Audience/s – Leaders in recreational fishing sector, future leaders of recreational fishing sector, key leaders of other fishing sectors (commercial wild and indigenous), decision makers in governments/departments relevant to recreational fishing. We expect between 150-300 participants.

ARFF will engage a conference organising agency (preferred proposal attached) on the Gold Coast, and set up a forum organising committee from their broader membership. Together they will;
- Determine the logistics of the location and set up, and alignment with AFTA events
- Set up online information and registration
- Promote broadly to recreational fishing groups, peak bodies and recreational fishers
- Determine a program, themes/topics and call for speakers
- Run the event smoothly including all pre event and post event logistics

FRDC will have the opportunity to receive,
- A place on the organising committee
- A mutually agreed number of complimentary registrations
- Any signage provided by FRDC for the forum on stage or at strategic meeting places in the forum break-out/gathering areas
- Logo on all materials, both hard copy and digital including conference website
- Ability to promote the event

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