Darwin rec fishers look underwater to protect fish habitat
The Amateur Fishermen’s Association NT (AFANT) and fishing conservation charity OzFish Unlimited today announced a new partnership designed to empower recreational fishers in the Territory to get involved in fish habitat protection and restoration.
The partnership is set to accelerate restoration initiatives as OzFish efforts have restored truckloads of habitat across Australia making local fishing grounds more healthy, vibrant and productive.
AFANT, CEO David Ciaravolo is excited about what this means for fishing in the Territory.
“I am thrilled to reveal this exciting partnership between AFANT and OzFish, which will see us work with fishers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways,” said Mr Ciaravolo.
“It’s a great way for fishers to give back to the environment that supports our valuable fisheries.”
The first project, funded by the Community and Environment Program (CEP) will hit the ground running and involve a unique fish monitoring research program. Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) will be deployed by volunteer recreational fishers as citizen scientists to help collect valuable data.
This project will see anglers construct and deploy the BRUVs at locations around greater Darwin. It will give fishers and habitat experts a unique chance to get an insight into what is currently there and could provide baseline research for future restoration efforts.
This is the first of several projects planned under the AFANT and OzFish partnership, which is designed to build community capacity to tackle fish habitat issues.
The program is being overseen through the employment of a part-time Habitat Officer based in Darwin at the AFANT office, thanks to funding from the NT Government Recreational Fishing Grants Program and OzFish Unlimited. Shelley Inglis took up the role and is focused on why this matters to the region.
“It’s a timely priority for us as Territorians and as Australians. The United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration will launch on World Environment Day June 5th which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on a global scale over the next ten years,” said Shelley.
“We need to do our bit and roll-up-our-sleeves and we’re calling on the recreational fishing community to get involved for our rivers, estuaries and billabongs, and the future of fishing.”
Interested community members are invited to attend a free community information session on Wednesday, May 19 at 6pm at the Darwin Trailer Boat Club and learn more about the volunteer work, BRUV Monitoring and the OzFish Chapter.
To find out more and get involved with the OzFish Darwin Chapter Click here or call AFANT on 08 8945 6455