Tag: funding

Recfishwest Community Grants: empowering local fishing projects

Recfishwest is happy to announce that round 16 of our Community Grants program is now accepting applications to support community-driven projects that enhance recreational fishing experiences across WA.

With applications closing at midnight on 14 September, now is the time to apply for a financial boost for funding to support your local project. Whether it’s a fishing clinic, clean up event, competition support, equipment upgrades, safety training, habitat restoration, education or research initiatives – the Recfishwest Community Grant Program can provide the funds to turn your idea into reality! 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO APPLY FOR A COMMUNITY GRANT  

Over the last 14 years, Recfishwest’s Community Grants Program, funded through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF), has supported 284 community-driven projects with over $870,000 in grants to assist fishing clubs and other groups in making fishing better in their area. 

“The Recfishwest Community Grant Program demonstrates how a modest investment can be leveraged through the passion and commitment of local communities to deliver meaningful, long-lasting benefits for recreational fishing across Western Australia,” said Recfishwest Operations Manager Leyland Campbell.  

Improving WA fishing one project at a time 

Check out some of the great fishing projects below that benefitted from a community grant in 2024! 

1) Perth Game Fishing Club – fishing competitions and FADs deployments 

The club utilised the grant to enhance its billfish competitions such as the Blue Marlin Classic and Billfish Shootout and deploy at least six FADs.  

These were aimed at reducing fishing pressures on vulnerable demersal species and helped diversify fishing opportunities. 

 

2) Derby Volunteer Marine Rescue – engaging youth in emergency services  

This community grant helped deliver marine safety and ecosystem management training to young people in our Kimberley region, along with developing local skills and understanding of sustainable marine use.  

You can catch the highlights of this on the GWN7 news video below!

 

3) The record-breaking 2024 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash

This grant helped support the delivery of the Apex Club of Kununurra’s annual Barra Bash, which saw the 2024 event become the highest ever attended fishing competition in WA history with 1,412 competitors. 

This is a key community event that reinvests proceeds into local projects to help strengthen community ties in the area, all from showcasing the magnificent fishing on offer in the East Kimberley.  

 

4) Kalbarri Kids Whiting Competition 

Recfishwest has proudly supported this great event for many years by assisting with the promotion and running costs while reinforcing safe and sustainable fishing practices.  

Recfishwest attends this event each year to support hundreds of kids in this family-friendly recreational fishing event and pass on our knowledge of catch-and-release practices.  

 

5) Southern Forests Freshwater Angling Club 

As leaders in the Western Australian freshwater fishing frame, Recfishwest provided a community grant to the Southern Forests Freshwater Angling Club (SFFAC) to help them build their website and purchase a marquee to improve community engagement at club events. 

As a result, this increased the club’s capacity to support freshwater fishers, promote sustainable practices and provide better shelter for their team at popular community events such as the Pemberton Trout Festival and Waroona Trout Festival.  

Want to see more examples of how a community grant can benefit your project? Check out our previous web news items below on community grant recipients and the projects that received support!

Click here to see our 2024 community grant recipients  

Click here to see our 2023 community grant recipients 

Round 14 of Recfishwest’s Community Grants program opening from 1 August

We have already seen numerous organisations across WA make the most of their 2022/2023 Community Grant funding this year – and the opportunity for the next potential recipients to apply for grants is arriving soon.  

Our Community Grants Program applications for 2023/2024 officially open for eight weeks from 1 August until midnight, 25 September – so now is the time to get your thinking caps on to plan how a grant could help your fishing-based projects such as competitions, fishing infrastructure, materials, education, fishing safety, habitat protection or other means in your local area!  

Whether fishing clubs or local businesses – many community groups can achieve great things when they are backed in with the resources and financial assistance to improve fishing experiences in their regions. 

That is why Recfishwest has proudly provided more than $500,000 in funding for more than 220 projects across Western Australia since 2011.  

Funded through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF) and supported by DPIRD, the Community Grants program saw 15 different organisations across WA achieve their project goals this past year, from the Apex Club of Kununurra up north down to the Albany Boating and Fishing Club in our State’s south.  

With eight weeks to go until the Community Grants program closes, start brainstorming on what projects you think could do with a supportive boost!  

Click here to read the Community Grants guidelines form. 

Click here to view the Community Grants application form.  

Want to see proof of how Recfishwest’s Community Grants improved fishing across WA over the past year? Check out some of the previous Round 13 recipients and their project highlights below!  

Life’s Short, Stay Moist – Women in Spearfishing Series and charter trip 

Recfishwest was proud to supply a Community Grant to the Life’s Short, Stay Moist women’s spearfishing club, which financially supported the promotion of their Women in Spearfishing Series and enabled them to get out on a charter vessel for a successful spearfishing expedition!

 

Shark Bay Community Resource Centre – Fishing Fiesta

Hundreds of visitors across WA and Australia ventured to Denham for the week-long Shark Bay Fiesta to celebrate all things fishing in the region. The Community Grant supplied by Recfishwest to the Shark Bay Community Resource Centre helped support this great annual event, along with their family-friendly SunSmart fishing clinic that saw 38 kids enjoy wetting a line. More info here.

 

Fremantle Sailing Club’s First-Aid Training Course

13 members of the Fremantle Sailing Club’s angling, power and dive sections took part to update or gain a first aid certificate conducted by St John’s WA, which enabled them to take out the club’s vessel and to furnish them with proper first aid training for future club events. More info here.

 

Albany Boating & Fishing Club’s Southern Ocean Spectacular

The Albany Boating & Fishing Club held their annual Southern Ocean Spectacular fishing competition in May, with our Community Grant funding aiding in turning this great event into a catch and release competition while helping the club implement the Track My Fish app.

 

Youth Futures Community School Fishing Clinics

Young people who are doing it tough enjoyed the mental, well-being and physical net benefits fishing has to offer, with funding from our Community Grants program helping the Youth Futures Community School run multiple metro fishing clinics. The clinics received such positive feedback from students and teachers that the school is hoping to make the fishing clinics a permanent activity in future. More info here.

 

Djiljid Dreaming film

As part of NAIDOC week, Recfishwest was proud to support the short film Diljdjid Dreaming, which was funded through our Community Grants program and celebrated how the water of the Swan and Canning rivers connects the ‘Paperbark People’ of the South-West. Watch this short film here.

 

Fremantle Sailing Club saving money and potential lives with Recfishwest’s Community Grant

Recfishwest is proud to see one of the 16 recipient organisations receiving a Community Grant in 2023 – the Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) – is saving money and potential lives by using a Recfishwest Community Grant to help fund a portion of their recent first aid training course.  

And participants got to see firsthand skills they were learning about being put into practice into a ‘a real life’ situation!  

Conducted by St John’s WA earlier in May, 13 members of the FSC angling, power and dive sections took part to update or gain a first aid certificate enabling them to take out the club’s vessel ‘Success’ and to furnish them with first aid training for future club events.  

Recfishwest’s Community Grant funding being put to good use by supporting the Fremantle Sailing Club’s recent first aid training course.

Around 30 minutes into the first aid course, one of the participants in the course started experiencing vertigo, which eventually developed into more serious symptoms, resulting in the decision being made to call an ambulance.  

Thankfully, after some further medical care, the patient recovered without hospitalisation being required, meaning the course could resume. 

FSC West Australian Game Fishing Association representative John Cramer said, “Everyone attending, I’m sure, received and benefited far more than was anticipated as a result of what happened and thanks of course to receiving a grant through Recfishwest.”  

Funded through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF) and supported by DPIRD, the Community Grants program helps fishing clubs and other groups achieve their goals in making recreational fishing better in their areas and benefitting local fishers.   

Since the Community Grants program commenced in 2011, Recfishwest has proudly provided more than $500,000 in funding for more than 200 clinics, equipment upgrades, safety training and numerous community-driven fishing projects.  

“The Recfishwest Community Grants Program provides funding for small scale projects which benefit recreational fishing in WA,” said Recfishwest’s Operations Manager Leyland Campbell. “This is a good example of how they can be used to make a real difference to great community clubs like FSC and their capacity to continue to run great family fishing events that are fun and safe with people skilled in first aid if ever the need arises – as was ably demonstrated in this instance.” 

Want to see all recipients of our Community Grants in 2023 and the projects they have planned? Click here.  

Open Call for Project Applications for Fisheries Research 


The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is making a public call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for research project funding that address a range of priority areas. http://www.frdc.com.au/Research/Call-for-applications

FRDC is a joint venture research funding scheme between the commercial and recreational fishing sectors and the Federal Government. Every commercial fishing licence in WA contributes through their annual access fees an amount of 0.25% of the gross value of production for each fishery. The recreational sector contributes through licence fees. Every $1 raised by the commercial and recreational sectors is matched by a $1 from the Federal Government.

Given the public nature of marine resources the Federal Government has agreed to also invest a further $2 for every $1 from industry for assist funding research proposals that have a significant benefit to the broader public good.

A proportion of the funds raised from industry (and matching funds from government) are allocated on a state-by-state basis and invested back into industry through approved research project funding.

General research priority areas have been identified by the fishing sectors and are set out within the WA Research Advisory Committee R&D Plan 2016-2020. A copy of this plan can be obtained at: http://frdc.com.au/Partners/Research-Advisory-Committees/WA-RAC

Specific R&D priority areas for the November 2017 call for expressions of interest will be published shortly on the following site: http://frdc.com.au/Partners/Research-Advisory-Committees/WA-RAC’

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by the 15th of February 2018. EOIs not submitted by this date may not be accepted unless prior approval for a later submission date is provided by the FRDC.

A description of how to Apply for Funding by submitting a research project proposal (known as an Expression of Interest) can be viewed on the FRDC website at the following link: http://www.frdc.com.au/Research/Apply-for-funding

For all enquiries please contact Skye Barrett, Project Manager, WA Research Advisory Committee on Mob: 0419 935 945 or Email: skye.barrett@frdc.com.au