This bursary will deliver against one of Recreational Fishing Research’s RD&E priorities this year: “Upskilling current and emerging leaders within the recreational fishing community”. The bursary will also deliver against the FRDC nominated RD&E priority of “People development”. The National Conference is an excellent opportunity to bring young leaders together to learn about and discuss topical issues and the applications of citizen science to the future of recreational fishing.

Engagements with the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation, and representatives from several state peak bodies have indicated there is a real need to create more learning and development opportunities for current and emerging leaders in the community. This proposal will outline how state peak bodies and the recreational fishing community will be engaged with the aim of sending 2 representatives from each state to the National Conference. This project will give bursary recipients a forum to share their goals and visions for recreational fishing with other leaders before the conference, mentorship during the conference itself, and a platform to share their learning and intentions after the conference.

From our industry consultation, FULLER understands that the Fisheries R&D Corporation coordinates a range of leadership courses each year that are designed to enhance the capabilities of mainly younger people.

Some of these courses include a basic media training component, however this is not delivered in a targeted or strategic manner, and there is no additional strategic communications follow-up training.

Any industry requires strong leadership in order to create positive change and to sustain itself in the face of competing environmental, commercial and political pressures.

FULLER believes that outstanding verbal, written and visual communication is critical to the successful leadership and management of any organization, and that the foundation of good communication is an agreed plan.

From our experience media training is more successful if trainees are told “what” to communicate, before they are taught “how” to communicate.

Therefore, while the tender brief calls for a short term solution – media training of industry leaders – it is our recommendation that this People Development Program should start with the development of a strategic communication plan.

This consultative process will help the industry better understand its key communication challenges and opportunities, the messaging it needs to communicate, and the key stakeholders it needs to engage. It will also suggest a wider range of communication tactics than just media – a necessity in this rapidly changing communication landscape (eg web, social media, video, SMS).

On completion of the plan, the subsequent training delivery will be able to introduce these current and future leaders to the big issues facing the industry, the consistent messaging that needs to be employed as well as contemporary public relations tools, including media engagement.

This will create a new breed of professional, proactive seafood leaders who will have a positive and lasting impact on the industry.