THE CEO of the Australian Fishing Trade Association, Allan Hansard, has been recognised internationally for his efforts in fighting for Australian anglers’ rights in the lead-up to the September federal election.
In a feature article in this month’s prestigious Angling International tackle trade magazine, Hansard has been interviewed in relation to his groundbreaking work in angling politics in Australia, in particular his overseeing the formation of the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) and Keep Australia Fishing lobby group that campaigned to protect angler access to 1.3 million square kilometres of ocean – the total of proposed “lock-out” areas under the Labor government’s federal marine reserves.
The combined efforts of these representative bodies and other state and federal angling groups led to a pre-election commitment at the August AFTA tackle show by now prime minister Tony Abbott that his Coalition government would “suspend and review” Labor’s marine parks plan. It now remains to be seen if the new Abbott Government lives up to its promise to Australia’s 5 million rec fishers.
See related story here.
Following the Coalition’s federal election win, Hansard said the victory had given Australia’s recreational fishers “much needed certainty” of their rights to fish.
“All future decisions on the marine environment or fisheries management should be based purely on science and not politics,” he also said.
Allan Hansard leading now prime minister Tony Abbott in to address the 2013 AFTA tackle show.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Hansard has told Angling International of future plans for the formation of a Recreational Fishing Council that will give recreational fishing the governmental influence in Australia he says it badly needs.
Read the Angling International interview HERE.
