School Holiday Fishing Workshops

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries‘ Fishing and Agricultural department has been hard at work over the recent school holidays, teaching children about the basics of fishing through numerous workshops held across the state.

With the assistance of five educational officers and a team of volunteers spread out across New South Wales, the Department of Primary Industries take great pride in the fact that they often get to share the first experience a child has with fishing.

“The age we start teaching them in our workshops is 8 to 14 years old, but we might start them earlier in schools, where our Get Hooked lessons run. At that age they are able to go fishing, they are keen to fish, and they need to know the rules,” said South Coach Education Officer Stephen Thurstan.

Stephen and his team of dedicated volunteers held four workshops in the Illawarra and South Coast region over the recent school holidays, stopping off at Greenwell Point, Lake Illawarra, Batemans Bay and finally Merimbula.

The cost to participate in the four to five hour workshop is only $40, with the children receiving great value for money – walking away with a good quality rod and reel, a hat, a shirt, and a small tackle box, ensuring that they are more than equipped to go fishing once the workshop is over.

The workshop covers a number of different areas, starting off looking at the rules of regulations of fishing, how to fish in a safe and responsible manner, as well as about the different fish they will come across during their time on the water.

“We encourage catch and release. Fishing isn’t all about catching and killing. A lot of people can actually enjoy the trill of catching a fish and letting them go. If you want to keep some for a feed, that’s fine too, but they need to know about the rules.”

As the South Coast Education Officer, Stephens role includes promoting recreational fishing in the area, making sure that people are aware of the rules and regulations involved in fishing, covering from Wollongong in the north, down to Eden in the south, and as far out as the Snowy Mountains and Jindabyne area.

“It’s all about getting all the information out, whether it be getting it via the internet, so they can source the information there, or through brochures, pamphlets or stickers for boats.”

“We want everyone having no excuse that they don’t know what the rules are, and they can even find out not just about what the rules are, but why the rules are there.”

While one of Stephen’s major roles includes educating young children about the rules and regulations, he also assists retiree and other disadvantages groups learn about fishing.

“We also run (workshops) for retiree groups and villages, with a lot of old people who need assistance to go fishing. Once a month down at Greenwell Point, we take three or four retiree villages. We also do that in the Illawarra, running it for Koori kids and other disadvantaged and disabled children”.

*Photos courtesy of Stephen Thurstan

By Nathan Beuman