This week is National Volunteer Week and Recfishwest is taking the opportunity to say a huge thank you to the unsung heroes across the State who contribute to recfishing and our mission to make great fishing experiences for all in the WA community, forever.
With this year’s theme ‘Changing communities, changing lives’, here is just some of the amazing work volunteers do:
- Reef Vision volunteers scattered within the recreational fishing community contribute to hundreds of hours of video footage to help us monitor the State-wide artificial reefs;
- Keen fishers and local fishers have helped us develop, deploy and monitor our three-year State-wide FAD trial;
- Volunteers have put their hand up to assist with habitat enhancement programs alongside our partners such as Seeds for Snapper, Snag for a Snag, Clean-up days and shellfish reef restoration projects;
- Our annual Snapper Guardians and Troutfest events rely on volunteers for these events to happen which draw hundreds of people and families every year;
- Local recfishers and volunteers help bring fishers home safe by installing safety infrastructure and equipment in high risk fishing locations as part of our State-wide Safe Fishing Strategy;
- Our passionate fishing clinic instructors have introduced more than 40,000 attendees to recfishing through our State-wide Sunsmart Fishing Clinics over the past 21 years; and
- Fishability volunteers continue to ensure everyone can experience the joy of fishing through their organised shore; jetty and boat-based fishing activities.
This is not to mention the thousands of hours volunteers tirelessly put in to keep local fishing clubs running and beating at the heart of local communities.
It takes a genuine community spirit to give time freely for volunteering and a belief in the positive difference fishing can make in people’s lives, but volunteers get something back in return.
Recfishwest fishing clinic instructor Luke Doherty said: “It gives me a chance to connect with people and hopefully have a positive impact on their lives, even if it’s as simple as being a friendly face that says ‘hello’.”
Exmouth Reef Vision volunteer Lindsay Shaw added: “It’s more than a way of giving back – I’m able to test my skills and abilities, and challenge myself on the water, meet new people and share some of the great fishing King reef and Exmouth has to offer.”
Recfishwest fishing clinic instructor Kim Burton said: “Volunteering is about sharing my knowledge and experience as well as passing on some of the finer skills to children.
“I get as much pleasure seeing children at our clinics catch quality fish as I do catching fish myself.
“I’ve been a volunteer for years and its been an absolute honour.”
Many of our events and programs would simply not be able to operate without vollies like Luke, Lindsay and Kim, allowing us to continue delivering on our commitment to protect, promote and create sustainable, accessible, enjoyable and safe fishing for the benefit of the WA community.
On behalf of our Board, our members and staff THANK YOU to all our volunteers and to all of those in the wider recfishing community for making such a positive contribution.
Interested in volunteering for Recfishwest?
We are currently looking for volunteers for our Exmouth Reef Vision program!
If you live within a close proximity to Exmouth’s King Reef and have a boat, click here to find out more and get in touch with us.
Alternatively you can join our volunteer database and we will get in touch next time we have an event we need help with!
Find out how you can get involved here.
