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