FISHCARE VOLUNTEERS

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:15): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about Fishcare volunteers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: Ensuring that the recreational fishing sector is kept up to date with fishing rules such as advice about size and catch limits is an important part of protecting fish stock. Minister, will you tell us more about the focus of Fishcare volunteers this year?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in this particular policy area. Fishcare volunteers are an integral part of the education and awareness initiatives of Primary Industries in regional South Australia.

Volunteering allows people to participate actively in all facets of society in a way that contributes to the spirit of democratic involvement. The Fishcare volunteers program was established in 1994 to spread the responsible fishing message. Currently, South Australia has more than 100 volunteers in the program from regions all around the state: Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Yorke Peninsula, metro, Victor Harbor, the Riverland and the Limestone Coast.

Last year, from July to December, Fishcare volunteers spent over 3,000 hours undertaking volunteering activities and spoke to more than 10,000 recreational fishers during this time. The main role of a Fishcare volunteer is to help create better awareness amongst anglers and the wider community about fishing issues.

Fishcare volunteers are very knowledgeable. They patrol local jetties, boat ramps and fishing spots to help keep keen anglers up to date with the rules and regulations that apply to recreational fishing. Fishers and other interested community members are encouraged to have a chat to their local Fishcare volunteers. They also play a vital role in raising community awareness and spreading the sustainable fishing message to protect our fish stocks.

Easily recognisable in their blue uniforms, volunteers are regularly out and about. They provide a range of educational materials, including brochures and current measuring devices, to help you make the most of your fishing experience while doing it within the law. So far this year, volunteers have been active right around the state from Elliston in the west to Mount Gambier in the south and everywhere in between. Their busiest times have been spent in our gulfs promoting the rules for blue swimmer crabs and showing fishers the correct way to measure their crabs.

These volunteers have also attended other events such as the Port Adelaide Christmas parade, the Kingston street market and Christmas parade, Tunarama, the Make-A-Wish event at Port Hughes and many other events. The South Australian government recognises that certain services, such as PIRSA Fisheries, can be enhanced by the involvement of volunteers. The harnessing of people's time, interest and skills can provide benefits to the person volunteering, the project, the organisation and the community at large.

Fishcare volunteers are a great information resource for recreational fishers. I encourage everyone over the age of 18, who is interested in fishing and who has some spare time, to contact PIRSA Fishwatch for more information. If you have a passion for fishing in your local community, why not help spread the sustainable fishing message by signing up as a Fishcare volunteer?