Anglers Action Group

[Wigg]

I am calling on every single fisho to join the AAG and keep themselves up to date with information regarding the Marine parks, exclusion and no fish zones (They are on the way)

If you want to keep fishing then we need to fight back.

Conservation thru sustainable management of the resource is what we need to acheive

Think about it.

Cheers

Wigg

[amalfiblue]

Are you able to post any contact details of this organisation?

[Hodgey]

G'Day all,

I am unable to locate a weblink at this stage ... still looking. Here is their (AAG) background:

Anglers Action Group (Sydney Northside)

Founded in 1994, originally based in Sydney's Northern Beaches and dealing with

local issues, the Anglers Action Group (Sydney Northside) Inc has now expanded to

include membership throughout NSW and into Queensland. It is solely a

protest/lobby group for recreational anglers and is not a fishing club. It has no

political affiliations.

AAG's motto is "Keeping the angler informed", and this is one of AAG's two aims, the

dissemination of information, viewpoints and ideas on issues related to recreational

fishing to members and others such as other fishing groups, mainline media outlets,

State and Federal politicians and various local councils and community groups. The

purpose is to promote discussion and alternate viewpoints on various issues within

the recreational fishing community and to those involved in the decision making

processes.

The second aim is to lobby those in power or involved in the decision making process

on various matters either by direct representation or indirectly via comprehensive

email lists and the newsletter, Anglers' Action.

Although AAG's main areas of focus are issues that affect the saltwater scene, there

are commonalities with respect to ideals and issues with the CFA such as

environmental issues, stocking concerns in unregulated streams and matters

pertaining to representation and political decision making agendas.

Anglers Action Group

(Sydney Northside) Inc

PO Box 630 Narrabeen NSW 2101

aagfish@gmail.com

Contact: Phil Ingram 0431 650 996

[pelican]

this is there site

In relation to my other post on Marine parks my question stands - why join them? Not being rude or anything but there is many groups to choose from? Which group is going to be effective

http://www.spunge.org/~aag/

Edited December 12, 2008 by pelican

[Wigg]

After last nights meeting at DY bowling club they are definatley the most organised and logical in their approach.

They are looking to form a peak body to put forward the fight for the general population

Cheers

Wigg

AAG_application_form_1_.pdf

Edited December 12, 2008 by Wigg

[pelican]

Hi Wigg

If you can say . What happened at the meeting , how many showed, was it a public one or just for the heads of clubs and so on. Have they had any serious feedback other than form letters and do they actually have access and contact with both industry and politicians??

Pel

PS was the beer cold and the chips hot??

[Wigg]

the beers were cold and very nice indeed.

This is

A long story short this is a very real and very big issue.

There will be a peak body formed to represent all the individuals and groups.

But we all need to get of our arses to support and help these guys.

I will keep you posted

Cheers

Wigg

[pelican]

Thanks wigg

That was what I was hoping for. The sooner they can create it and show it will be a representative well managed lead group purely set up for this the better. It can be used in the future to support otherfishing issues when smaller group approaches don't work.

Like others I don't want to be represented by rednecks nor someone who is just in it to see their name in the paper. I want to be represented by a group that presents themselves professionally and we should be prepared to pay be it through our current club membership or directly outside even if it means getting a professional lobbiest. No half measures as otherwise it will be a case of constant negotiation for years..

Hope to hear soon

Pel

Hmmmm cold beer hmmmmm beeeeeeeer

[mrsswordfisherman]

Fishraider Admin have had some dialogue with AAG committee members last week.

I have requested a report be posted asap on the meeting outcome.

This is a very important issue and we have had contact from several groups regarding support etc...

I would ask that members read and be aware of the facts. There will be plenty of activity soon. Groups are at present planning and consulting in preparation for a response to the proposal. This does not happen overnight.

Fishraider has no political affiliations and will not become a political platform. Our aim here is to give members all the information and facts available so informed decisions can be made. The last thing we want is division.

Keep yourselves informed and be patient. As pelican says we all want to be represented by a well managed body that has no other agenda. Rednecks and vigilantes who display kneejerk reactions are not the way to go.

Fishraider admin are watching with interest what is being planned and will ensure that members are kept abreast of progress.

mrsswordfisherman

[mrsswordfisherman]

Fishraider Admin have had some dialogue with AAG committee members last week.

I have requested a report be posted asap on the meeting outcome.

This is a very important issue and we have had contact from several groups regarding support etc...

I would ask that members read and be aware of the facts. There will be plenty of activity soon. Groups are at present planning and consulting in preparation for a response to the proposal. This does not happen overnight.

Fishraider has no political affiliations and will not become a political platform. Our aim here is to give members all the information and facts available so informed decisions can be made. The last thing we want is division.

Keep yourselves informed and be patient. As pelican says we all want to be represented by a well managed body that has no other agenda. Rednecks and vigilantes who display kneejerk reactions are not the way to go.

Fishraider admin are watching with interest what is being planned and will ensure that members are kept abreast of progress.

mrsswordfisherman

Update here - no response as yet to the email sent and read 12/12/08

mrsswordfisherman

[mrmoshe]

Please remember to vote in the Official Fishraider Poll

This NPA proposal WILL impact on YOUR fishing.

I urge everyone to vote.

Cheers,

Pete.

[mrsswordfisherman]

Email responded to today 2.19pm

Donna,

The meeting last week was attended by approx 100 Warringah anglers and other interested individuals. The aim of the meeting was to enlighten those not fully conversant with the NPA proposal and to stress that to be an effective force and lobby group, all rec fishers must be united in showing NSW State politicians we've had enough of the dodgy science and Green preference deals that have resulted in the current Marine Park locations.

After 2 hours of discussion, the meeting unaminously passed a motion:

"This meeting condemn's NPA's management by numbers approach to conservation and marine parks as it is totally counterproductive.

As fishers; we insist that all marine park decisions are based on independant, proven science alone.

We acknowledge that we must be true conservationists and we believe in sustainable fishing.

We demand that our fishing fees are used to ensure that we can fish forever without restricted access."

A lot of contact details were collected from those attending and we'll be keeping them informed. Find attached the wording of an address given to the meeting by Anglers Action committee member, Bob McComb.

Cheers

Warwick Gibson

Vice President

Anglers Action Group

Here is the address referred to

Marine Parks – a response to poor fisheries management

Bob McComb 9/12/08

Is our current fisheries management working? Obviously not. Again fishers are faced with more restrictions to our access to the fisheries resource. Fishers – recreational, commercial and cultural have adjusted to any management regulations in the past and will continue to do so. However, this latest attempt from the National Parks Association infers that the current management policies of the Department of Primary Industries are failing to protect biodiversity or manage the fisheries resource sustainably.

Fishers are conservationists. Conservation does not mean there shall be no interference from humans. Conservation is the sum of all actions taken to preserve and maintain those things to which we attribute a positive use or value. The conservation ethic amongst fishers, particularly those in organisations, is very high. We have accepted regulations on size and bag limits on fish. Quotas and effort are also regulated. We have had our access to a public resource taken in the name of conservation. And have been portrayed as the villain for the loss of biodiversity. All the while we have continued to fish ethically and to the regulations. We have called for better management and enforcement, a halt to habitat destruction, an improvement in the water quality of run-off, paid licensing fees and volunteered for habitat restoration and education programs. Fishing organisations have been very successful at spreading the conservation ethic and a responsibility towards the maintenance of the fish stock and biodiversity.

Once again, three weeks out from Christmas a non0government organisation, the National Parks Association, have called for a large marine park with no-take zones. This park will have greatest impact upon the cultural, recreational, commercial, retail and tourism fishing industries and associations as it is targeted at NSW’s population centre.

Conservation biology is cited as the main reason for the establishment of this large reserve, not to increase the abundance of valuable fish. Conservation biology is defined as those actions taken to prevent the loss of biodiversity, ie extinctions either localised or complete.

Should the Department of Fisheries adopt a better management approach based upon the monitoring of trends in stocks and the impacts of human activities, this would go a long way to prevent the constant onslaught from non-fishing conservation organisations. These groups have been successful in seeing the implementation of no-take zones to prevent us to continue to fish the productive waters. Unless we can have the Fisheries Department change from a “Harvest till Death” management strategy to one based on scientific monitoring and “Optimal Sustainable Yeild” we will be constantly fighting this battle.

Fifteen years ago when Anglers’ Action Group was formed our mission statement was “To make ourselves redundant by lobbying to have sustainable, transparent and adaptive management of our fisheries.”

What we have now is a proliferation of marine parks. These areas are a dog’s breakfast of fishing zones where, unless you engage a local guide there is little relaxation at popular holiday destinations for fear that you may inadvertently be fishing in the wrong zone.

The National Parks Association, who are calling this park for biological conservation, should clearly identify the key threats to any species. They should clearly identify all threatening processes and prove it is the actions of fishers which are leading to the extinction of any species. They should show the proof that fishing activities are causing extinctions. The threat abatement actions should not be based upon non-scientific inferences or perceptions.

Have the no-take zones in the current marine parks been effective? By removing fishers has the extinction of any species been averted? Has there been an increase in the abundance of fish from the “spill-over effect”?

Things we don’t know because of the lack of monitoring before or after the establishment of these reserves. The only monitoring which currently occurs for valuable fish species such as mulloway is a “trigger point”. That is, we wait until the catch plummets to this indices or “trigger” (Harvest until Death) before any change in management may occur.

As fishers and conservationists we need to become more proactive in promoting the “conservation through the sustainable use of wildlife” concept. This is a management system where quotas are set at “Optimal Sustainable Yield” and not “Maximum Sustainable Yield” and income from the resource is used to conserve and value add to it. This system places a value on the habitat. When the habitat is protected so to is the biodiversity.

The greatest threat to biodiversity is habitat destruction and the poor quality of water from run-off. These are also key limiting factors to the increase in abundance of valuable fish.

We as fishers need to push for better adaptive management with harvest targets based upon proper monitoring techniques. A system of management which does not wait for a fisheries to collapse before management is triggered.

We need more recreational fishers to become involved in fishing organisations which promote a conservation ethic.

One this is certain after 15 years, groups like AAG will not be made redundant. We will always have to be vigilant. We will always have to fight animal welfare who promote to the public that animal rights and conservation are the same issue. Non fishing conservation groups will try to divide any allegiances formed between various fishing organisations. And stakeholders, this way we are easily defeated. How we combat this is by remembering though other fishing organisations may have differing views they are not the enemy.

We must be proactive in promoting to the public our conservation effort and ethic. We must insist that the Government provides us with resource managers who can achieve positive, sustainable and measurable conservation outcomes.

Bob McComb

Anglers Action Group

[mrsswordfisherman]

This was sent today from AAG

Anglers_20Action_20_49.pdf

mrsswordfisherman

[mrsswordfisherman]

Information was sent to me today regarding a letter sent out by AAG. Below are the responses

Stokes-Pittwater.pdf

Coalition-2011.pdf

Labor-2011.pdf

[mrsswordfisherman]

Response from Shooters and Fishers party sent to AAG

SFP.pdf

[Basil D]

common guys lets stand up for ourselves or start selling your boats