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Become a member of the OzFish Sydney Harbour Chapter.
There is a membership for everyone.

ADULT MEMBERSHIP    JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP    FAMILY MEMBERSHIP

Every new member will receive an OzFish cap, sticker, facemasks and a $10 BCF Gift Card courtesy of our major partner.

Welcome to the Chapter

OzFish Board Director Brian Elton has teamed up with well-known fishing guide Justin Duggan (Sydney Fly Fishing Tours) and avid Sydney Harbour anglers Lino Caccavo and Jesse Muller to establish an OzFish Sydney Harbour Chapter.

The Chapter are keen to recruit new OzFish members and planning is underway for habitat restoration projects including a launch event – so watch this space!

About the harbour

Sydney Harbour is of huge environmental, economic and recreational importance and immense social and cultural significance, particularly for First Nation peoples.

It was first discovered because it has one of the largest estuaries in the world and supports a rich diversity of marine life. Its catchment area is 500km2, however, 90% of its shoreline is urbanised, and 50% is bounded by seawalls and other built structures.

While the harbour and its connecting rivers is a wonderful year-round fishery and much improved since the 70’s and 80’s as a result of the Clean Water Act 1974 and the banning of commercial fishing, there are plenty of opportunities to put fish habitat back into the harbour.

Issues to tackle

Fish habitat, which is essential to supporting the recruitment and growth of good fish and marine life populations, is under severe pressure.

The intertidal zones like rock ledges, mud and sand flats and mangroves are particularly at risk.

Pressures include an illegal collection of marine life, urban runoff, microplastics and litter, erosion caused by wash from boats, impacts from boat anchor drag, invasive introduced species, climate change and the long history of contaminants from industrial waste from sites around the harbour.

Goals for the Chapter

The Chapter aims to tackle these challenges to Sydney Harbour’s ecosystem and improve fish and marine life habitat, benefiting biodiversity and opportunities for recreational anglers.

Fixing these problems will require partnerships with all levels of Government, the private sector, environmental groups and, importantly, fishing clubs and recreational anglers.

It will take education programs, interventions to improve habitat, volunteer hours to undertake work and harness the skills and energy of recreational anglers, and raise funds to make it all happen.

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