Photo courtesy of members of Cooma Trout Acclimatisation Association
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Recent achievements by the NSW CFA
2009
Over the past year the NSW CFA has been very active on behalf of recreational freshwater anglers in NSW. Following is a summary of our efforts.
Membership and liaison
- In the past year the NSW CFA conducted four quarterly meetings of Council, plus meetings of the executive committee and an annual general meeting.
- Our meetings were attended by senior managers in NSW DII, including Cameron Westaway, Senior Recreational Fisheries Manager Inland; Alistair McBurnie, Recreational Fisheries Manager Inland; Peter Gallagher, Senior Conservation Manager, Fisheries Ecosystems; Sam Crocker, Manager Gaden Trout Hatchery; and Malcolm Poole, Secretary of the national representative body Recfish and President of the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW; Terry Flanagan, Senior Policy Adviser Rural Affairs to the Minister for Lands.
- At our quarterly meetings we received reports from our delegates/members of committees such as the Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing, the NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance, the Recreational Freshwater Trust Expenditure Committee, Trout Allocation Committee, Snowy Lakes Strategy Committee and the 'Bringing Back the Fish' program.
- The NSW CFA increased the number of member clubs and anglers it represents. We have more than 30 freshwater fishing organisations as members, and a number of these in turn represent numerous clubs under their umbrella. All member clubs have at least two voting delegates on Council.
- The NSW CFA published 12 editions of Freshwater Fisher, our electronic newsletter that currently goes to more than 500 subscribers, including anglers, employees of government departments and the media. Some angling organisations further distribute the newsletter to their own members.
- The NSW CFA conducted its annual Interclub Meet at Wallerawang for members, sponsors and friends, with over 40 people in attendance, raising over $27,000 for the work of the Council over the past 10 years.
- The NSW liaised with a number of organisations with common interests, including VRFish (the peak recreational fishing body in Victoria) and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW (the peak conservation body in NSW) and the Rivers and Red Gum Environment Alliance.
Representation
- The NSW CFA is a foundation member of and provides delegates to the NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance, the peak body for recreational anglers in NSW.
- Members of the NSW CFA were appointed to the NSW Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing and the Recreational Fishing Freshwater Trust Expenditure Committee.
- The NSW CFA represented anglers on the NSW DII advisory committee for the Snowy Lakes Strategy.
- The NSW CFA represented anglers on the NSW DII 'Bringing Back the Fish' program for the Central Coast and Hunter regions.
- The NSW CFA represented anglers on the NSW DII Trout Allocation Committee.
- The NSW CFA made representations to Hunter Water on the need for fishery management and angler access on the proposed Tillegra Dam in the Hunter Valley, achieving significant access opportunities for anglers.
- The NSW CFA lobbied NSW DII and NSW DECC regarding the removal of willows without adequate streamside rehabilitation at Evans Plain Creek in Central NSW, and lobbied for ongoing eradication of willows in general.
- The NSW CFA became an associate member of Recfish, the national body for Australia's anglers.
- The NSW CFA participated in the 2008 National Nodavirus Workshop held in Melbourne that developed the VNN research and development plan which has been successful in gaining funding from the federal government's Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
- The NSW CFA led opposition to the NSW government's proposal to close Gaden Trout Hatchery, resulting in allocation of RFFTEC funds to cover the operating costs and secure the future of the hatchery. Subsequently the NSW CFA gained a place on the Gaden Trout Hatchery Management Committee to oversee the partnership between anglers and government.
- The NSW CFA lobbied the NSW government to retain important Conservation Manager positions in NSW DII.
- The NSW CFA was represented at meetings of DII's Aquatic Biodiversity Unit to review outcomes of the recent nodavirus screening program.
- The NSW CFA was a proponent of and represented at DII's Fishers for Fish Habitat conference held at Ballina in 2009.
Projects
- The NSW CFA partnered with NSW DII in the Fish Friendly Farms project, a program designed to encourage farmers to apply sustainable farming practices on properties adjacent to waterways.
- The NSW CFA monitored and supported NSW DII's research into the prevalence of nodavirus in Australian bass and other fish species.
- The NSW CFA partnered with the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW to win funding to produce an angler safety DVD.
- The NSW CFA was awarded a grant by NSW Department of State and Regional Development to overhaul our website to include information on recreational fishing opportunities in regional NSW.
Current issues and challenges include:
- The NSW CFA continues to campaign for angler access - one of the most challenging issues we will have to deal with in the next decade.
- Working through the NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance, we hope to achieve a situation whereby the NSW Government supports a paid secretariat for all NSW recreational anglers.
- The NSW CFA continues to press for control of the spread of redfin and to ensure proper management of this species which is a serious pest in some areas.
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The NSW will soon provide a complete guide to freshwater fishing in NSW...the first sections are already available:
CFA Region 1: North Coast and Ranges
CFA Region 2: Sydney and Central
CFA Region 3 and 4:Southern Highlands and South Coast, ACT, Monaro and Snowy Mountains
CFA Region 5: Central West
CFA Region 6: South West
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