Recreational fishers out in force for Clean Up Australia Day
OzFish volunteers have set a new record for Clean Up Australia Day, removing a massive 4 tonnes of litter from our waterways – the largest haul ever collected by the organisation.
More than 276 volunteers turned out across 16 locations, tackling rubbish in some of the toughest environments, including remote saltmarshes, thick mangrove mud, and even underwater.
What’s even more impressive? Less than 1% of the total litter collected was fishing related.
“OzFish members know the importance of looking after their local waterways,” said Emma Kark, OzFish Special Projects Manager – Tackling Litter. “Fishing line and bait bags were among the few fishing related items found, and these things tend to escape us easily. The best way to prevent that is to stash them in a bag or bucket, so they don’t blow away, and pick up any stray bits you see. Small actions like this go a long way in keeping our waterways thriving for both fish and fishers.”
Across the clean-ups, volunteers collected:
- 144 bait bags
- 750 metres of fishing line
- 77 thongs (mostly left feet, if anyone’s missing one!)
Fishers leading the way for cleaner waterways
Recreational fishers are stepping up for their local waterways, tackling not just fishing waste but a whole range of rubbish that finds its way into our creeks, rivers, and estuaries. Among the most common items collected were plastic bottles, cans, food wrappers, and other general waste- things that don’t belong anywhere near fish habitat.
“Rec fishers take litter in their waterways seriously,” said OzFish CEO Cassie Price. “There are plenty of beach cleans and parkland clean-ups out there, but fishers turned out by the hundreds this year to do the hard stuff – through mangrove mud, remote saltmarshes, and even underwater! With 16 waterways now sparkling, we’ve got some happy fish out there.”
Award winning rubbish
OzFish volunteers also embraced a bit of friendly competition, with prizes awarded for standout efforts:
Best Before & After: Adelaide Chapter for their stunning saltmarsh transformation. Honourable mention to Richmond River Chapter for their Wilson River clean-up.
Most Thongs Collected: Khai Gallagher (North Queensland) – a whopping 20 thongs, mostly left feet.
Funniest Find: Melissa Ringland (Clarence Chapter) for her “Thunder Chair” – an abandoned bush loo that left us all in stitches.
Small teams, big efforts
While many OzFish events had fantastic turnouts, in Wagga Wagga, two dedicated fishers – Grant Higginson and Denis Hawke – were the only Wagga locals to host an event. Undeterred, they spent the day hauling out everything from fast-food packaging to dumped mattresses and an old boat. Similarly, a group of four in Nyah, in Victoria’s northwest hauled out 280 kg of rubbish from the Little Murray.
Meanwhile, at Bushland Beach in North Queensland, more than 45 volunteers turned up to tackle one of the biggest hauls of the day, removing two tonnes of rubbish, including 19 tyres and 3 car batteries.
Even the local wildlife in Nelson, in far western Victoria, were in approval of volunteers efforts, with a friendly koala joining the morning safety briefing!
These incredible efforts from volunteers proves that every contribution – big or small – makes a real difference in keeping our waterways clean and thriving.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part this year. Your efforts are making a real impact on the health of our waterways and the future of fishing.
Want to be part of the action at your next local OzFish event? Join an OzFish Chapter near you and help protect the places you love to fish.