Recfish Australia forced to move backwards
Recfish Australia forced to move backwards
The peak body representing all Australian recreational fishers, Recfish Australia, has been forced not to renew the CEO's contract and accept the resignation of the Chair of the Board following the rejection of a request for financial support from the Australian Government.
In the week after the government finally released its National Strategy for Recreational Fishing for public comment, it is ironic that Recfish Australia is required to take such dramatic action. Recfish is repeatedly recognised in the National Strategy for all its past hard work and industry leadership but has now been denied the funding it requires for ongoing representation of the national interests for 3.5 million recreational fishers, providing expert and sound advice to government agencies and the fishing and boating industries.
Recfish Australia has, for the last 27 years represented millions of recreational fishers who annually inject into local and regional economies an estimated 3 - 5 billion dollars. "Recreational fishing is a fundamental component of our Australian way of life." said outgoing Chair Mr Frank Prokop."
Recfish has recently provided a long term self funding options report to Government for their comment, however none of these options will deliver the short term cash injection needed. To date several requests made to government have been met with the same response, "to look elsewhere for a funding stream".
The Australian Government recently renewed its commitment to the nation's commercial fishing industry, by committing $2.6 million to Oceanwatch, funding the SeaNet environmental program. Oceanwatch is a 'not for profit' organisation focused on sustainable commercial fishing practices. "Recfish Australia sees the Oceanwatch funding as a positive approach by the government and would like the same opportunity extended to Recfish Australia to work with government on sustainability issues." said Mr Prokop.
At its most recent Board meeting, Recfish Australia needed to address these difficult decisions by repositioning the organisation back to its former volunteer run status, with Mr Russell Conway from Victoria as the new Chair.
Recfish Australia member organisations refused to allow such an important peak body to become extinct. There are just too many recreational fishing issues which require a national presence and perspective, such as the upcoming Commonwealth Marine Bioregional Planning consultation covering vast stretches of coastline and which will involve more bans on fishing using 'sanctuary zones' around Australia.
The recent Mako Shark debate, which galvanized thousands of fishers into action clearly demonstrated to government the tremendous potential to influence policy when all recreational fishers speak out at a national level over one issue.
Recfish Australia today called on all recreational fishers, fishing tackle and bait retailers and tackle manufacturers to write, or personally visit their federal members of parliament, asking how millions of fishers who contribute billions of dollars annually can so easily lose their 'One Voice' to government.
Recfish encourages the government to reconsider their decision and engage in meaningful discussions with Recfish Australia.
ENDS – Media Contact Len Olyott 0427073356 or Russell Conway 0419320843
http://www.recfish.com.au/images/stories/pdf/MR_Recfish_Australia_forced_to_move_backwards.pdf
TerryF
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Beavering away in the background.......
You need Recfishwest to look after your recreational fishing future.
Who else has time, knowledge, professional approach, realistic alternatives, willingness and contacts?
Become a member www.recfishwest.org.au/MembershipDet.htm
TerryF
Posts: 489
Date Joined: 11/08/05
Recognition of the
Recognition of the importance of Recfish Australia in responsible recreational fisheries management
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:17:17 +0800
From: Frank Prokop
Hello fellow Western Australians and our elected representatives
I write to you on a matter of extreme concern to nearly 4 million Australians – those who fish recreationally. Below you can see a letter which Recfishwest, the peak body here in the West sent to the Minister for Fisheries, Tony Burke on 16 February. To date we have not had a reply.
However, the Minister HAS released a plan for recreational fishing which, while repeatedly acknowledging the important work of Recfish Australia, rules out any funding for that body. Recent difficulties including the banning of Mako shark fishing due to a DEHWA administrative error (fully acknowledged in a review of the legislation) and the problems with Ningaloo Commonwealth recreational fishing interpretations among other things it was illegal to carry a gaff from only 3-12 NM in Commonwealth Ningaloo waters) were only able to be fully addressed with a responsible peak national body that could negotiate a sound outcome.
As you can see below, Recfishwest has been strongly committed not only to responsible and well planned recreational fisheries management in Western Australia, but throughout the country. Until last week, I was the Chairman of the national body and repeated efforts to achieve a workable outcome have been rebuffed and indeed Minister Burke told me to 'bring it on' with regards to funding a peak body. This does seem extraordinary in an election year with a participation rate of nearly 4 million people. We would rather negotiate a reasonable outcome.
Regrettably, I have resigned as Chairman, partly because it is apparent that the Minister is not interested in further negotiation and partly because of the logistic difficulties in running a volunteer organization from Western Australia. Once again, the West suffers. It is ironic that each state jurisdiction has recognized the importance of a coordinating body for the diverse recreational fishing sector. The federal government wants the states to pay additionally to meet the national priorities, which as you can readily understand is not widely supported by the states.
It will take time to move recreational fishers to an empowered partnership model for natural resource management and Recfish Australia is the logical vehicle to assist in the facilitation of this. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish for and with recreational fishers in Western Australia and this should be allowed to occur at the national level. This has required bi-partisan support and recognition that groups like Recfishwest and Recfish Australia can greatly assist in the development of reasonable policy and in the education and extension of cooperatively derived solutions.
Recfish Australia is not chasing millions. Funding in the order of $100,000 to $200,000 pa for the next 3-5 years is all that is required. If you compare this to the government investment in athletics for example, it is a paltry sum compared to $3 - $5 billion in economic activity (based upon a recent Victorian study). Much fishing takes place in regional and more remote areas where fishing forms an essential component of regional infrastructure. As we face the challenges of marine conservation planning, an obesity epidemic and the collapse of many regional infrastructures and the social fabric that revolves around fishing as an activity, the importance of a balanced and strong leadership for recreational fishing has never been more important. Unless of course the needs of this enormous industry can be ignored by government.
The Minister recently announced a national strategy for recreational fishing. He committed groups like Recfishwest to coordinate responses in our state. He did this without consultation with us, and immediately following a decision to force Recfish Australia to revert to a volunteer based organization. This does not endear the Minister to West Australians.
I am happy to meet with you to discuss the importance of recreational fishing in your electorates. I urge you, on behalf of the recreational fishing community of Western Australia, to contact Minister Burke and urge him to reconsider his decision. Issues such as bio-regional planning, climate change, biosecurity, active recreation, mental health and well-being, habitat protection and restoration and responsible stocking and artificial reefs to name but a few require a viable national presence. In conclusion, I ask you to nominate any other industry worth billions to Australia that gets so little recognition and support by the federal government.
Yours in fishing
Frank Prokop
Executive Director | Recfishwest
P (08) 9246 3366 | M 0419 949 118 | F (08) 9246 5955
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From: Frank Prokop [mailto:frank@recfishwest.org.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 16 February 2010 9:40 AM
To: 'Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au'
Subject: Recfishwest concerns over the future of Recfish Australia
Hon Tony Burke Email
Dear Minister
Recfishwest concerns over the future of Recfish Australia
Recreational fishing is an important activity for at least one in four Australian's, and an estimated 645,000 people in Western Australia. Fishing generates direct expenditure of at least $2 billion per annum. It is the lifeblood of many regional areas where employment and development are reducing in many instances. It is one of the most important activities associated with the Australian way of life.
Recreational fishing also has enormous social, health and lifestyle benefits including getting people outdoors, combating obesity, learning about the environment, relaxation, sport and provision of personally caught seafood which is the freshest possible.
It is a very sad fact that the commonwealth government currently provides no financial support to the peak body but spends billions of dollars on federal and state environmental and natural resource management. For example, Caring for Our Country is a $2.25 billion five-year funding program but recreational fishing does not qualify. The Commonwealth found $220 million to 'correct' management measures in commercial fisheries. You have recently announced funding for Oceanwatch which is an important organisation but provides a service to infinitely fewer Australians than Recfish Australia. Indeed, recreational fishing is the largest unsupported industry in Australia.
The peak body, Recfish Australia, currently gets no direct support. This must be changed immediately because without a national peak body recreational fishers cannot be effectively involved in key Commonwealth decisions which impact on the future of recreational fishing and all Australians e.g. Marine Bioregional Planning, Mako shark decisions, animal welfare, recreation management and the Coral Sea Conservation Zone.
For nearly 25 years Recfish Australia has repeatedly demonstrated, with limited resourcing, key benefits of strategic leadership and co-ordination of a diverse recreational fishing community:
- Liaison with the federal Government and agencies/departments
- Sustainable fisheries management
- Leadership and community partnerships
- Community monitoring of stocks and habitat
- Increased safety
- Coordinated communications
- Development and education of sustainable fishing practises
- Consolidation of state peak body responses on national issues, including conservation and climate change.
Recfishwest is a committed member organisation of Recfish Australia. We currently supply the Chairman of the Board, even though this frequently means that national business interferes with Recfishwest activities. Although Recfishwest has a reputation for successful negotiation with government in our own right, Recfish Australia undertakes many important tasks at the national level on our behalf.
Recfish Australia has an important lead role on national issues such as the recent Mako shark ban (and other EPBC and CITES issues), the Commonwealth Marine Bioregional Planning process, and importation risks associated with fish products and aquarium fish to name but a few.
The Recfishwest resources at a state level are limited, and issues such as the Mako shark ban highlighted extremely important principles of engagement and process but the issue itself was significantly less prominent in WA than it was in Victoria and Tasmania. It would be impossible for Recfishwest to respond effectively to national issues that affect our recreational fishing sector without an appropriately supported national organisation.
Recfish Australia's mission is "One voice promoting sustainable fishing and representing recreational fishers at a national level." It is highly likely at this stage that Recfish Australia will be wound up from about April 2010 and that voice will be lost.
The future of strategic, sustainable, community supported recreational fishing co-ordination on national issues is under severe threat unless there is recognition of the benefits and importance of recreational fishing in the Commonwealth government and bureaucracy.
The recreational sector has made enormous progress in changing community attitudes to sustainable management and our role in the many diverse processes. This unfortunately does not appear to be recognised at the national level and one of the fundamental activities of the Australian way of life could be jeopardised for want of around $200,000 per year against GST revenue alone of the order of $100 to $200 million.
Recommendations
1. CPI indexed funding for Recfish Australia from the Commonwealth Government of a minimum of $200,000pa from 1 July 2010 for the next 3 years, which could be provided out of the unspent RFAC funding. Funding would be based on agreed performance targets being met under a service agreement.
2. National grant projects such as Caring for Our Country, and the public good component of FRDC funding are redesigned to allow overt recognition of the benefits of recreational fishing and regional communities so that Recfish Australia can develop partnerships commensurate with the economic and lifestyle benefits which we provide.
3. Recfish Australia and the Commonwealth Government agree on a list of priority projects, issues, timeframes and resources to consult and implement.
Recfish Australia is working extremely hard to overcome the negative perceptions that some people have about its representativeness, services and achievable outcomes. Recfish Australia has joined the Boating and Fishing Alliance to better separate the leadership and representation roles from the lobbying role.
Recfishwest looks forward to a positive response on the recommendations listed above. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any queries or additional information that may be required in support of retaining and financially supporting Recfish Australia for the benefit of Australia's diverse recreational fishing community.
Andrew Matthews
Chairman
Recfishwest
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TerryF
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Beavering away in the background.......
You need Recfishwest to look after your recreational fishing future.
Who else has time, knowledge, professional approach, realistic alternatives, willingness and contacts?
Become a member www.recfishwest.org.au/MembershipDet.htm