Community based sustainable fishing education for Roebuck Bay

This great collaborative and community based project is funded by the Commonwealth Governement and supported by our great project partners (see Below). The project has just begun and we will keep you up to date on this page. The products produced by this project will be made available on an independant website to highlight the collaborative nature of the project www.sustainablefishing.net.au (coming soon).

About the project

Recreational fishing/crabbing is a key use of the Roebuck Bay environment and recreational fishers are a large and important group interacting with the Ramsar listed wetland environment. The sustainable fishing education project is a collaborative project that aims to provide the most current and scientifically up to date information possible to assist the recreational fishing community and others to fish sustainably and look after the Roebuck Bay region.

The project seeks to be inclusive the whole Roebuck Bay community, particularly those who fish. We will be working closley with the Traditional Custodians of the bay, the Yawuru people and we anticipate employing a Yawuru project officer to help implement the project.

The education project is family friendly, collaborative, apolitical, science based, respectful of Indigenous rights and designed to be inclusive.

Educational materials will be developed in accordance with the most up to date scientific advice. Attractive, informative and tailored to the audience, information sheets will focus on areas including: • Sustainable fishing practices (e.g. fish handling for catch and release, responsible fishing methods, protecting large breeding fish); • Preventing and providing early warning of marine pest species; • Protecting important fish and wildlife habitat; • Respecting and protecting Indigenous culture, traditional hunting and cultural sites; • Interactions with threatened or sensitive species – prevention and management (including migratory shorebirds, snubfin and other dolphins, dugongs and turtles); and, • Maintaining and improving water quality and bay amenity (including onshore nutrient input control, pollution prevention, litter);

Materials will be available in hard-copy information packs and electronic formats and be made available for distribution in local tackle stores, camping outlets, fishing club, tourism/charter operators, caravan parks and on the web. The project will identify, develop and train volunteers who will deliver materials and explanations to fishers at key locations such as Roebuck Bay boat access points (ramps), the Port and Roebuck Bay beaches Project coordination

Fishers For Conservation Inc. are a not-for-profit group. Founded over five years ago the group has extensive experience in recreational fishing education and has previously successfully completed a similar project in South Australia. Project delivery will be undertaken by a qualified marine biologist with extensive environmental communication and education experience working with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers and non-fishers.

This project is funded by the Caring For Our Country Community Action Grants Program and we extend our sincere thanks for the oppertunity to the Australian Government.

We would like to thank the following groups already contributing to the project and invite further collaborative partners:

• Yawuru Buru (Roebuck Bay Indigenous Traditional Custodians)- via the Yawuru Culture and Heritage Commitee
• Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
• The Roebuck Bay Working Group
• West Australian Department of Environment and Conservation
• West Australian Department of Fisheries
• Rangelands NRM

If you would like to volenteer to help deliver project materials, or be part of the planning for this project please contact us Email: fisherfc@internode.on.net