Meet Angus Fanning, Project Manager for Coastal NSW

We recently had a chat with Angus Fanning for our next instalment of ‘Meet the Team’. Based in Newcastle, Angus is OzFish Project Manager for Coastal NSW.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERTISE?

My experience is predominately in water quality, estuarine ecology and environmental approvals, planning and legislation. I also have experience in stakeholder coordination and in working with community groups through previous roles at other environmentally conscious not-for-profits. I have brought this knowledge and experience to OzFish and believe that through working with our chapters and drawing off their local expertise with our projects that we can really make a difference and build a positive future together.

WHICH AREAS DO YOU FOCUS ON?

Within OzFish I have a few key areas that I’m currently focusing on, including restoration of saltmarsh and mangroves, water quality monitoring, understanding trophic interactions and nutrient transfer, and upskilling our community through education relating to all of these areas. Maintaining a healthy estuary is important to human communities that rely on fisheries to provide seafood, somewhere to fish recreationally and as a place to just enjoy the habitat. The most important priority for me is maintaining habitat for fish to flourish in numbers and keep the balance within these ecosystems – both for us, and for the plethora of species that rely on them.

WHAT KIND OF HABITAT IS IN THIS AREA?

Estuarine habitats include shellfish reefs, seagrass meadows, rocky reefs, mudflats, mangrove and saltmarsh. All playing an essential role in controlling water quality, decreasing land erosion and of course providing a habitat for fish to breed and be protected.

SOMETHING INTERESTING PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU

I helped get an organization off the ground that teaches children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to engage with the ocean through surfing as a treatment for their sensitivities to different stimulus. Surfing the Spectrum started off two years ago with only running two or three events in my hometown of Newcastle over summer each year and has now expanded to multiple events up and down the east coast with our first events interstate in Victoria and Queensland penciled in for this summer. From little things, big things grow right?

PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF

Before working with OzFish, my honours research and thesis with the University of Newcastle utilized stable isotope analysis to trace nutrient flows along the coastline of the Hunter region. Stable isotope analysis looks at elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur to then trace their flow, availability and accumulation through food webs to ultimately better understand trophic interactions.

Following on from my research year, I worked for a number of years both in the private sector doing environmental impact assessment and onsite environmental management for a range of coastal projects, and at a public water utility working in catchment management and water and wastewater planning and construction.

I began working with OzFish Unlimited in October as a Project Manager for Coastal NSW. I manage, plan and help out on the ground for coastal projects from Port Macquarie to the NSW/Victorian border (a bit of time on the road). These projects range from waterway and beach clean-ups to citizen science projects engaging with local rec fishers to obtain fish muscle samples that we can analyse isotope analysis to inform future on ground rehabilitation works.

PROJECTS YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING

I’m currently working along the central and south coast of New South Wales with OzFish, developing chapter networks, and engaging like-minded fishers to get involved within their local chapter. I engage with local stakeholders on behalf of local fishers and communities with their concerns and to gauge their perspectives on areas that could do with a little bit of a helping hand. Together with our chapters we are currently working on projects to enhance fish habitat from historical land degradation, aid in state-wide bushfire recovery efforts, and are working alongside other groups such as Landcare to reinstate riparian buffers along urban streams and creeks.

BEST FISHING EXPERIENCE

I think it’s hard to go past your first proper catch, which for me was catching a decent-sized Dusky Flathead in Saltwater Creek while my family were up at South West Rocks Surf Lifesaving Club as an 11-year-old. I was throwing in a line while they were up with friends, barely expecting anything (or knowing what to do if I did get anything) with some leftover bait from earlier in the day, and all of a sudden, my rod almost got pulled out of my hands! I screamed up at my parents at the club to give me some help which attracted a bit of attention from everyone on the clubhouse balcony. Once I was able to bring it in and boast my catch to the onlookers up at the Surf Club, we took it home and had it with some home-made chips for dinner the following night.

Aside from that, a highlight experience was hooking a Black Marlin with the aid of some friends off Hat Head. The sheer power in this fish gave me a real appreciation for the species status as a key predator in the ocean.

WHY OZFISH?

OzFish provides a conduit and professional body to attract pools of funding to support local initiatives with local people to ultimately improve our waterways and coastlines, and as a result – fishing. One of the best aspects of my role with OzFish is that I’m able to bring together my loving for the ocean, nature and fishing with people who feel similarly!