The coolest club on Australia’s waterways!
Wobbegong sharks are the garbage disposals of the ocean. They’ll eat just about anything that swims past! But they don’t want to be eating our rubbish.
Take a wobbegong walk through your local fishing spot and collect 25 pieces of rubbish. After taking a photo of your collection, dispose of the rubbish in the correct bin, remembering to recycle what you can. Submit a photo of your rubbish haul and write short story, or drawing, about your adventure. We’ll then send your badge… the wobbegong shark!
The trigger fish gets its name from their biggest distinguishing feature, the 007-like trigger on the top of their heads! This nifty appendage helps the fish to anchor itself under a rock ledge if there is danger about.
Move like a trigger fish and get your video trigger finger ready. Shoot a short video clip of you talking about fish habitat at your favourite fishing spot. The video should be between 1-2 minutes long, and should include things like descriptions of the shelter, plants, and food sources. Don’t forget to talk about the water. Is it brackish, Fresh, or salt? Is it clear or turbid? The more information, the better. Submit your video and we’ll send your badge… the trigger fish!
A huge amount of what a bass eats comes from trees on the riverbank – up to 40% of their menu is land-bugs. Trees also provide shade for the fish and make future snags when they fall into the water.
Do your bit to help our fish populations and plant a native tree on a river or near a creek. Look out for any tree planting events happening in your area, or ask your local council about getting one going. Submit a short story, or drawing, about your tree planting adventure as well as a photo and we’ll send your badge… the Aussie Bass!
Fish like carp, redfin, tilapia, goldfish, and mosquito fish are all pest fish found in Australian waters. They destroy habitats and compete with our native fish, like the purple spotted gudgeon, so the more of them we can remove from our waterways, the better!
We want you to catch a pest species and dispose of it appropriately. Submit a photo of your adventure and write a short story, or drawing. We’ll then send your badge… the purple spotted gudgeon!
Head to your local state government’s website for a list of pest fish species in your area.
Habitat complexity is important for healthy fish populations because baby fish need somewhere to hide, and big fish need somewhere to rest. In nature, fish habitat includes things like snags and rocks but artificial habitat can also be made, in the form of fish hotels.
Become your own fish architect and build a mini fish hotel from things lying around your house. Please don’t put your homemade hotel in a waterway. Write a description of each of your creation’s features and take a photo of your masterpiece! Submit them to us and in return we’ll send your badge …. the decorator crab!
There are more than 700 fish species worldwide which make sounds. We fishers have heard them before, its why the common names of many fish are grunters, croakers, blurters, and yakkas.
Write a story, or draw a picture, about your time as an OzFisher and the importance of healthy fish habitat. Then share the creation with your friends. Spreading the word about the importance of better habitat and how it leads to better fishing encourages others to get involved. Submit your story, or drawing, and you’ll receive your badge… the Mulloway!
Perfectly camouflaged to look like a piece of floating seaweed, the leafy seadragon is one of the best adaptively camouflaged species in the world. Leafies mate for life. They spend much of their time in pairs, in a small area of kelp forest or seagrass.
Introduce a friend to OzFish by getting them involved in one of your challenges. Submit a short story, or drawing, and photo about your adventure together. You will earn your badge…. the leafy sea-dragon!
Mangrove Jack’s hate litter! Their home in the mangroves, rocky reefs, and shellfish reefs are often filled up with litter that floats in on the tide. We call this ‘marine debris’ and it’s the one thing you don’t want to catch in the mangroves.
Show us an innovative way to upcycle some fishing gear by finding a way to reuse it or create a new product. Send us a photo of the end result and step-by step instructions, or a drawing, of how it works. We’ll then send your badge… the Mangrove Jack!
Yellowbelly also known as golden perch gets its name from its golden colour. They are a thick fish in the shape of a football. OzFish’s River Repair Bus fleet is located across some of the best yellowbelly regions in Australia. We are fixing their habitat, creating homes, improving their water quality, and planting riverbank trees.
We want you to rewrite the lyrics to ‘The Wheels on the Bus‘ song to suit the River Repair Bus. Create a poem, song, or even a rap! If writing is a little tricky, we’d love you to draw the River Repair Bus. Submit your lyrics or drawing to OzFish and we’ll send your badge… the yellowbelly!
Murray cod, are the treasure of the Murray Darling and Australia’s largest freshwater fish! This big fish, known for its beautiful leapoard-like print, can survive over 50 years and grow to 1.8m and weigh more than 100kgs.
Catch any fish, handle it carefully and take a photo. Once you get the perfect shot, gently return your catch to the water. Catch and release is a fantastic way to enjoy the sport of fishing without depleting fish populations. Submit a short story about your fishing adventure, with a photo of your catch and we’ll send your badge… the Murray cod!