FEDERAL Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Mike Kelly, has chaired the fourth meeting of the Recreational Fishing Roundtable at Parliament House.
Dr Kelly said the roundtable meetings are a vital opportunity to discuss current issues of importance to the rec fishing sector and to oversee the progress of projects supported under the Recreational Fishing Industry Development Strategy.
The roundtable members received a briefing on the progress of the marine bioregional planning process and Dr Kelly said he was pleased with the progress to date.
“I was particularly interested to hear the views of the recreational fishing groups on marine bioregional planning and resource sharing,” Dr Kelly said.
An update on preparations for a National Recreational Fishing Conference, which is funded under the strategy, was also provided at the roundtable.
The conference, to be held in August 2012 on the Gold Coast, will be an important opportunity for the recreational fishing industry to focus on what differences they can make for the future of recreational fishing in Australia from their combined action.
In support of the recreational fishing strategy, the government has invested $1.74 million in rec fishing projects. These projects address data collection about the industry, obtaining information on southern bluefin tuna and sharks, climate change implications, education, leadership, training, and consultation with government.
For more information visit: www.daff.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/rfids.
