ECOfishers UNITY SUMMIT - "A partnership of Stakeholders"

[CEO]

What the fishing media says!

[CEO]

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[ACTAngler]

Thanks for the info.

[clive]

Let's hope some of the bad blood that seems to exist among fishing groups can be put aside and this summit marks the beginning of a more united front.

Clive

[CEO]

  LEADERSHIP:-  It is happening Clive. It is well and truly happening. We have had a wonderful response, including the sentiments you mentioned. Even had enquiries from interstate. Major organizations are keen as mustard to get behind our ECOfishers initiative and work towards a unified partnership. They recognise that it is in their best interest that they do. And Bob Kearney is keen about our initiative also and willl be attending and presenting and staying for lunch. Truly a monumental initiative, in the history of NSW recreational fishing.  ECOfishers, making people part of the solution!

[CEO]

   There is no sign of any of the bad blood by the attendees at our ECOfishers Unity Summit. There is a lot of enthusiasm, from right across the board. Representative and responsible fishing organizations, recognize the gravity of the situation NSW recreational fishers now find themselves in, through no fault of their own. One only has to see the massive turn-outs at the ECOfishers marine park rallies, to gauge the feeling of NSW recreational fishing families. They are very, very angry! And they want something meaningful and positive done about it. They have requested / required, ECOfishers, as their representative, to organize and facilitate it. And we will! What concerns them equally, is that Labor's marine parks are non-negotiable! There is no room for compromise. And their Zoning Plans are now reviewed once every 10 years. Yes that is right. A review once every decade! How draconian is that?
  So already it promises to be a lively and legendary meeting, of the great minds, of representatives of recreational fishers. It is the representatives of the grass roots fishers, we are targetting - those who are elected (not appointed) to their representative positions, through the democratic process. That's what the states recreational fishing families require. That is what ECOfishers will deliver! Why would there be any bad blood, about such an important initiative?.
   UNITED WE SURVIVE - DIVIDED WE ARE CACTUS! An ECOfishers united front, means we live to fight on. For if we all do nothing, then nothing will change. That means more marine parks and more unjustified lock-outs! The recreaional fishing community have demonstrated repeatedly now, they will support ECOfishers. We won't let them down - of that you can be sure! We have the resources, we have the skills, we have he expertise, we have the personnel, we have the experience and above all, we now have the science. Thus armed, we have a desire to deliver for the community. And we will!

[ACTAngler]

How many are attending so far?  What groups do they represent?

[CEO]

Lots of great ideas coming in from you all. And typically, they vary from the radical to the sublime. What is common though, is that all representatives agree we need to be united. We certainly need a united voice, on a united front to combat what has been eloquently described by one section of our industry as, "this marine park madness!" So united we will be. That's what everybody wants so that is our aim and target. It makes ECOfishers job so much easier, when there is so much enthusiasm for what we are doing, for NSW recreational fishing families. We certainly will generate a hot house of ideas, put forward by leaders of recreational fishers. Your ideas will be fermented, by sharing, negotiaing and discussion, and distilled into a common focus with a unified purpose and common goal, to address this vexed issue of "marine park madness," through UNITY!
                OUR COMMUNITIES SUPPORT ECOFISHERS - ECOFISHERS SUPPORTS OUR COMMUNITIES.

[ACTAngler]

Is the Summit just about Marine Parks, or is there more on the agenda?

[CEO]

   ECOfishers workshop group leaders and facilitators are drawn from those leaders, who have had actual experience in dealing with the government's Marine Park Authority. They have been elected by their communities to do the wheeling and dealing and negotiating. They are experts in this field and have had plenty of experience. One is even a member of a Marine Park Advisory Committee and can give a slant on how that process works - or doesn't work!
  These people, who are also recreational fishers, will be leading the workshop groups, in the "Needs Analysis," section of your Unity Summit. They too can answer most questions from metropolitan recreational fishers who to date, have had no knowledge or need to be involved at this level. Simply because metro fishos, don't have a marine park - yet!
  The curious thing for ECOfishers, is that some metro fishos only knowledge of government marine parks, is what they read in some fishing magazines. And of course it depends on which fishing mag you read as to what message you get. We are somewhat surprised to hear, that some metro fishos, literally believe government marine parks are actually conserving the marine biodiversity, by banning NSW recreational fishing families from sections of these parks!

[CEO]

   ATTENTION NSW BASS FISHERS: Gee we are sorry fellas, we can't accommodate all the different groups wishing to attend. We even spoke with the President of the Council of Freshwater Anglers about accommodating you separately - we are unable to. Not because we don't want to, it is because of time, number and space restrictions etc. As we have said to some of you already,  if possible please elect / agree on one representative, who can speak for you collectively. Your interests are as much a part of ECOfishers as any other freshwater group, but we just don't have the space for a variety of Bass groups - sorry! Do try to come up with an agreeable solution for all. That way we can keep everyone happy. Kevin will be contacting you all again, to facilitate that procedure. Gosh, the wisdom of Solomon! Where is he now? 

[CEO]

 Thanks Kevin. Thanks Bass fishers. Your trust and faith in ECOfishers is much apreciated. We won't let you down. Issue solved and resolved and everyone is happy. Who said it couldn't be done? Others couldn't do it perhaps, but good will and fairdinkum concern for NSW recreational fisher, the resource, the habitat, and a track record of getting things done for NSW fishing families, proved invaluable again. 

[CEO]

    One Sydney based group wants a moratorium on all proposed new marine parks. That's not surprising, since they don't have a marine park and don't  have to live with it's draconian restrictions. It also ignores the requirements of tens of thousands of NSW recreational fishers, who have to live and work with government marine parks imposed upon their reluctant coastal communities. So that won't work because it's not suitable and doesn't really address the issues. Another group wants them banned altogether. That's unrealistic and won't happen. So that too is an unrealistic expectation.
   ECOfishers UNITY SUMMIT, will be looking for common ground, with marine parks that really address and manage the actual impacts on our marine and aquatic environments, (pollution in all its forms, agricultural practices, coastal development, and introduced pests etc) and don't needlessly and unjustifably, ban family recreational fishers.
  ECOfishers aim will be to focus on monitoring, assessing and managing the habitat. After all, a healthy habitat mean a healthy fishery. If there are fishing practices that are unquestionably harmful to the underlying habitat, then those practices need to be modified, to ameliorate the harm etc.  Hence, there should be no need to ban ALL forms of family recreational fishing.
  So called "sanctuary zones," totally ban all forms of fishing. Why? ECOfishers is about protecting the habitat. And that clearly, can be achieved without banning ALL forms of fishing.
                         THAT"S WHAT OUR UNITY SUMMIT WILL BE STRIVING TO ACHIEVE.
  It will be a challenging, interesting and exciting day for all recreational fishers representatives - make no mistake about that! 

[CEO]

  We have some rec fishing luminaries expressing a keen interest in our UNITY SUMMIT! Rec fisher representatives that have been involved in representing the views of the state's recreational fishers for decades. Representatives who know what they are talking about. Representatives who know the lie of the land. (and the vagaries of the sea.) Representatives who, having been involved for decades, have seen successive governments come and go. Representatives who know and understand the politics of NSW recreational fishers and fishing. And representatives who now say this ECOfishers leadership initiative, is the best thing and the only thing, to give us all, a united voice! Thank you gentlemen! We acknowledge, value and respect your contributions. They are important to us all.  At the same time they caution against the odd bods, who they call "white-ants," those, who for a variety of personal and/or political reasons, don't want to see NSW recreational fishers united. And of course if we are not united and able to speak with one united voice, we play right into the hands of the green extremists. And they will love it. So, if we choose to do nothing, (ie stay divided) then nothing will change. That means more marine parks and more unjustified lock-outs. Hence anyone who doesn't support UNITY is still a part of the problem. That's what the greenies want and we still get the feeling now and again, that's what the government (and their agents/appointees) wants!
  GOOD WILL SHALL PREVAIL. WE ARE AT THE CROSSROADS. UNITED WE STAND & SURVIVE. DIVIDED WE FALL!
   PS Show us a greenie or a green group, who doesn't think government marine parks, that needlessly lock family recreational fishers OUT, are a great idea? The greenies are united! So must we be!

[CEO]

  No, we don't know Bruiser. Is there a white ant nest/colony, in Sydney? Post the email! (or send it to us.) White ants are part of the problem - definitely not part of the solution. This issue is much bigger than someone's personal ego. Rec fishers know and acknowledge that and that comes from all over NSW. Sydney is not the centre of the recreational fishing universe, despite what one ego may think! They haven't even got a marine park .....yet. It is a statewide issue. And already it effects freshwater environments. ECOfishers are still negotiating about the state's first proposed "aquatic sanctuary," on the north coast of NSW and in prime bass fishing country. We've managed to stall it thus far, for a couple of years, (despite local government support) but with this government, (and its relationship with the greens) nothing is certain! There are several Departmental initiatives in the pipeline also, that the Minister has yet to see. ECOfishers will be meeting with him about those too, on behalf of Bass fishers. CEO due back tomorrow, if it ever stops raining!