THE native fish of Sydney’s waterways are set to reap the benefits of the tireless efforts of members of the Bass Sydney Fishing Club.
The club recently clocked up its 1000th hour of volunteer labour devoted to improving the health of rivers and creeks in which the Australian bass calls home.
“Our Club is not your usual fishing club” Alan Izzard, Club President said.
“We don’t just enjoy fishing for Australian bass but we do whatever we can to help improve the bass fishery – we’re putting something back!”
“This tree planting day on the banks of the Nepean River at Russell Street, Emu Plains brings our total number of hours we have dedicated to restoring riverbanks to 1000 hours. We are really proud of the time we have spent working on riverbanks – removing invasive weeds and planting native trees; providing more food and homes for native fish.
It’s hard work, but it’s really social and we’ve all learnt new skills. It also means we can enjoy our local fishing spots more and the Bass and the river benefit too”. Mr Izzard said.
Bass Sydney has also been involved in projects to restore fish passage on the Georges, Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers and other riverbank restoration projects South Creek, the Grose and Nepean and Lane Cove Rivers.
“The members of Bass Sydney Fishing Club are true habitat heroes” said Charlotte Jenkins, Fisheries Manager, NSW DPI Fisheries.
“Their tireless work for improving native fisheries in the greater Sydney region and their dedication to making a real difference is inspiring, not just for other fishers but to natural resource managers and the wider community in general. Congratulations to the Club for meeting this major milestone – what an amazing achievement! she said.
Bass Sydney Fishing Club was founded in 1981 by a group of dedicated bass fishermen who were concerned with the plight of Australian bass. They decided to start a club that would devote their time not just to fishing for Australian bass, but to do whatever they could to improve the fishery.
Bass Sydney was the proud recipient of the inaugural “Habitat Hero’s Award” at the 2012 Recreational Fishing Conference in Brisbane.
To join Bass Sydney email info@basssydney.com
