Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Binder on September 21, 2012, 03:27:37 AM
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Well, its a first for me - sacked from a volunteer job.
Got my DCM letter today courtesy of Campbell Newman cost cutting, the Fishcare volunteer program is being closed down and my services are no longer required.
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Cant go much lower.
Cheers
Ray
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Wonder if 'Machete' is cutting his own salary
Brad
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What were the duties of a Fishcare Volunteer?
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From the Fishcare website, now redundant I suppose, another cost saving?)
Fishcare volunteers work to raise community awareness about preserving fisheries resources and the need for an ethical approach to recreational fishing.
Fishcare volunteers give advice about fishing methods and how to improve the quality, rather than the quantity, of the catch. They promote the benefits of catch-and-release and give information on the best fish handling techniques to increase survival rates. Volunteers provide information about rules and regulations, but their role is educational only and they do not have enforcement powers.
What is required of Fishcare volunteers?
The volunteers are asked to commit to one field activity per month and occasionally attend events, such as boat shows and fishing competitions, and kids fishing clinics. Volunteers are fully trained and supplied with a uniform and equipment for the work they do speaking to recreational fishers.
What does the volunteer program achieve?
The program encourages responsible recreational fishing by educating fishers about the reasons why size and possession limits are in place for different species.
The Fishcare volunteer program also provides an opportunity to keep recreational fishers up to date with any changes or new information relevant to their fishing.
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Any redundant fish care volunteers will be gratefully accepted at the Catfish Cleanup at Fernvale this weekend. :youbeauty
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Fishcare volunteers work to raise community awareness about preserving fisheries resources and the need for an ethical approach to recreational fishing.
Fishcare volunteers give advice about fishing methods and how to improve the quality, rather than the quantity, of the catch. They promote the benefits of catch-and-release and give information on the best fish handling techniques to increase survival rates. Volunteers provide information about rules and regulations, but their role is educational only and they do not have enforcement powers.
I doubt that the Premier could "sack" anyone from volunteering to do that. There's no need to stop the good work because Government funding has stopped. It could just be more difficult. I hope someone is going to look for corporate sponsorship and keep the work going. Too many people see these things as only Government funded. Go back a few years and it was all community funded. There is also plenty of Federal funding available (they're still Labour and they seem to have to spend money as fast as they can print it!)
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Your right Dale, I do all that for the various stocking groups and fishing clubs I am a member of, have done heaps of fishing classes for kids, including handicapped kids days etc as part of those groups, not just as a fishcare volunteer.
But being part of the fishcare volunteers meant you had official Govt ID, and were covered both by insurance and safety systems - when you were doing info session on your own at fishing spots you would check in and out, if you didn't check back in they would send the coppers to the area you were working. Sounds dramatic, but there are an awful lot of bogans out there who dont like being told that they shouldn't be keeping buckets of undersized fish. Nice to know someone would come looking for you if you didn't go home.
Schools etc are much happier to have someone show up in a Govt shirt and ID to talk to kids than 'joe public'
it also meant you had access to all the publications (rule books etc) so you could hand them out to the public when you were talking to them about the rules.
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Maybe replace the Gov shirts with Sweetwater ones? I'm still attempting to beat the drum of rec fishers getting political and lobbying Govts regardless of the political persuasion.
John