By Pat Sachs
Last year I was offered the most amazing opportunity to build a bridge uncertain of what was on the other side. My first thoughts varied between, ‘This has got to be the most awesome excuse to go fishing’ and ‘This is a position destined to fail!’.
Seven months down the track and I could not have guessed how much I have learnt about building the relationship between recreational fishers and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
The Liaison Officer position was created to provide an immediate point of contact between AFMA and the members of the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF). My role is to help ensure the views of recreational fishers are considered in the management of Commonwealth fisheries while at the same time assisting recreational fishers to understand AFMA’s decision making around Commonwealth fisheries management.
My personal highlight to date was watching the majority of national and state recreational fishing organisations in Australia come together in November 2014 and unite under a common vision. The following day recreational fishers attended an AFMA forum and discussed Commonwealth fisheries management and how adaptive management can be applied to managing fisheries for recreational benefit. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that once you earn the trust and respect of the people you work with you come to better appreciate their views and in turn be asked for yours.
I am really looking forward to seeing where these new partnerships will take us. Over the coming months I will be working with recreational fishers to investigate how we can more actively manage recreational fisheries and how we can optimise benefits for recreational fishers through fisheries management.
If you would like to get in touch please send me an email at patrick.sachs@afma.gov.au or call on 0438 193 418.