This Sunday is National Gone Fishing Day and there is no better time to cast a line with friends and family or get out and enjoy the warmer weather in quiet solitude.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Ruston and Gone Fishing Day Ambassador Mark Taylor AO will celebrate the annual event at the Sydney Game Fishing Club at Watson’s Bay.
“With over 100 events planned, Australia’s waterways will be teeming with schools of recreational fishers who will be getting out doing what they love—fishing,” Minister Ruston said.
“Australia’s 3.4 million recreational fishers must be onto something and I encourage people to take their time and soak up the beautiful surroundings that Australians are lucky to have access to daily.
“Recreational fishers also have a role in ensuring Australia continues to have some of the best managed fisheries in the world.
“The government recognises the role of recreational fishing in promoting sustainable fishing and marine resource management practices, through its role in community education and awareness.
“I recently launched the Commonwealth Fisheries Policy Statement and outlined the government’s position that every Australian has the right to go fishing and have access to local sustainable seafood.
“The Government supports the nationally-recognised code of practice, which seeks to set standards and improve the knowledge and behaviour of fishers.”
Participating in Gone Fishing Day, fishers are asked to adopt the Code that promotes the following principles:
• Fishing - respect and appreciate the fish they catch
• Interactions - respect other fishers and members of the community
• Stewardship - demonstrate care for fish and the environment they fish
• Habitats - respect, protect and restore our wildlife habitats.
You can find your local Gone Fishing Day event at: www.gonefishingday.org
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