Release date: 16/05/2023
The State Government celebrates the Fishcare Volunteer Program at the start of National Volunteer Week as it marks its 29th anniversary.
Operating across South Australia, Fishcare volunteer teams can be found in metropolitan Adelaide, the Riverland, Yorke Peninsula, Victor Harbor and Limestone Coast.
Since it began in 1994, the Fishcare Volunteer Program has gone from strength to strength, with more than 400 volunteers participating over the 29 years. The number of volunteers currently sits at 56 active members, ranging in age from 18 to 87 years.
We celebrate the dedication of our volunteers over the past 29 years, who have patrolled the beaches, jetties, boat ramps and rivers of South Australia, operating anywhere fishing activity takes place. Fishcare volunteers have accumulated in excess of 83,350 hours of volunteering since 1994.
The Fishcare volunteers deliver a significant service to the community and our regions. They also present an education program across the state to school students in years four and five, offering a vital step in reaching some of our youngest fishers.
Applications are encouraged for more volunteers to join the program in Yorke Peninsula, Riverland, the Southeast and metropolitan Adelaide. Full details about the program and to become a volunteer is available at pir.sa.gov.au/recreational_fishing/community_engagement/fishcare_volunteers
Volunteers receive recognition of their achievements and service.
The Fishcare Volunteer Program continues to raise the fishing community’s awareness and appreciation of the need to protect and preserve fisheries resources and their habitats for future generations.
The Fishcare Volunteer Program is one of the deliverables of the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia and a key Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Quotes
Attributable to Clare Scriven:
It is through the volunteers’ tireless efforts that we are getting the message out about how vital it is to protect our fish stocks.
It is essential we continue to raise awareness of the fishing community’s need to protect and preserve fisheries resources and their habitats for future generations.
Our Fishcare Volunteers provide a vital link between PIRSA Fisheries & Aquaculture and the fishing community, helping promote a positive relationship between recreational fishers and government.