A revised code of practice for recreational fishing

12:11 PM Tue 13 Jan 2009 GMT

'RecFish Australia www.recfish.com.au'

With over 3 million Australians going fishing every year, there is a need for some commonsense guidelines to ensure that we enjoy our sport in a responsible and respectable manner.

The National Code of Practice for Recreational Fishing was first drafted in 1994 and recently, Recfish Australia (the peak representative body for anglers at a national level) commissioned a review of the code by respected fisheries biologist, Dr Julian Pepperell. The review took into account feedback from fishing organisations from across the country, government departments as well as animal welfare groups such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

Speaking about the revised code, Len Olyott CEO of Recfish Australia had this to say: 'This revision of the code has focused on four key areas: humane treatment of fish; looking after our fisheries; protecting the environment and respecting the rights of others. Recfish Australia believes that every angler has the responsibility to consider these four principles. We should be teaching them to our kids to make the next generation anglers even more responsible.'

Corresponding to each key responsibility, there are fourteen specific principles which include:

. Quickly killing fish that are intended for consumption
. Taking no more than our immediate needs
. Taking care when boating and anchoring to avoid damage to wildlife and habitat
. Caring for our own safety and the safety of others when fishing

The code is available to all fishing clubs and representative organisations to adopt as their own or to form the basis of their own codes.

Copies of the code (printed brochure or CD) are available from Recfish Australia and its member organisations (listed on www.recfish.com.au) or by contacting 07 33561111 or email admin@recfish.com.au

www.recfish.com.au/

by RecFish Australia

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A revised code of practice for recreational fishing

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