The great West Aussie summer holidays are seeing thousands of mums, dads and kids making golden memories at family fishing events in the South of our State.
Family-fun-packed events like the ever-popular Mandalay Fishing Competition in Busselton and our SunSmart fishing clinics in Binningup and Bremer Bay have lured thousands of happy kids outside in the fresh air to wet a line and enjoy our majestic coastal environment.
The summer sun is shining a light once again on the immense social, physical and mental wellbeing benefits of fishing, with bent rods glued to kids’ hands rather than electronic devices.
It’s why Recfishwest is calling on all political parties ahead of the State election in March to commit to investing in a statewide community stewardship program teaching kids the right way to fish in our manifesto aimed at improving fishing across WA. Click here to see our election manifesto,
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Teaching the next generation how to fish right, safely and caring for what they catch is vitally important for the future of fishing and the huge part it plays in the West Aussie way of life.
“Using our fishing clinic model in a statewide community stewardship program will help kids enjoy fishing’s social and well-being benefits today while teaching them to fish safely and responsibly.”
Wetting a line in the sunshine
Feast your eyes on some of the great snaps and catches from some of the great community fishing events so far in January!
Kids’ Fishing Day – Harvey Districts Water Sport Association (HDWSA) Binningup Fishing Club – Sunday 4th January
This event was aimed at teaching kids fishing basics, how to fish sustainably and safely, looking after the environment and how to stay SunSmart. Along with the dozens of yellowfin whiting turning up on the beach, South-West local and Minister for Fisheries, Don Punch, also put in an appearance!
Bremer Bay SunSmart Kids’ Fishing Clinic – Monday 5th January
This fishing clinic has been a local favourite for more than 20 years now and the ever-reliable Bremer Bay jetty never fails to produce quality catches, with schools of small skippy providing great fun for the youngsters who learned how to catch, handle and release the fish with care. A big thanks to all volunteers who helped with this fantastic annual community event!
Mandalay Fishing Competition – Tuesday 14th January
Supported by a Recfishwest community grant, this South-West fishing event has long been one of the biggest community fishing events in WA and is a major drawcard for locals in Busselton and the surrounding regions to come wet a line at the picturesque Mandalay Beach Resort – one of Recfishwest’s business supporters. Seeing hundreds of families having fun while enjoying catching herring and whiting is a sight we want to keep on seeing, and it shows how important fishing is to our regional coastal communities.
The fantastic images below from the day were snapped by @coastingoutback – give their Instagram page a follow!
Want to help Recfishwest create more great community fishing events like this? Support us by joining our cast of thousands as a Recfishwest member!
