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Healthy waterways underpin our lifestyles and livelihoods. When waterways thrive, so do we.
From fun-filled fishing days for kids to voluntary pledges for adult anglers, Reef Guardian Councils are working with their communities for a healthy fishing future.
Reef Guardian Councils form a local government alliance working to reduce impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.
Working in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the councils are stepping up to ensure their communities can enjoy fishing for generations to come.
In the northern Wet Tropics, the Douglas Shire Council has been working with local fishers to develop a voluntary code of practice. It’s part of a larger plan to encourage the community to take ownership and ‘fish for the future’, says Douglas Mayor Michael Kerr.
“Fishing is such an integral part of our cultural and economic identity. From our Traditional Owners’ long history to our more recent history as a fishing port, a code of practice recognises that we all have a responsibility to protect and nurture our marine ecosystems if we want an abundant and resilient fishery,” Mayor Kerr says.
Cr Jeff Baines from the Cassowary Coast Regional Council is chair of the Reef Guardian Council’s executive committee which oversees the stewardship program.
He believes local governments have a key role to play in the future of recreational fishing in the tropical north.
“Our waterways and reefs have a long and proud history as one of Australia’s leading fishing destinations. As our communities grow and environmental pressures increase, it’s vital to ensure we are all acting sustainably.”
The Cassowary Coast is home to an annual Tilapia Tournament, the largest competition of its kind in Australia.
“The tournament is a great way to get young fishers involved. They’re not only removing an introduced pest species from our local wetlands, they are also learning why wetlands are important for healthy populations of reef fish,” Cr Baines said. “We’re spreading the message that what we do on land has an impact on what happens in the water.”
The Reef Authority’s Reef Guardian Council program manager Rebecca Allen says each council has their own approach to sustainable recreational fishing, reflecting the diversity of their communities and the fishing experience.
“These councils are going above and beyond their usual local government activities to support sustainable recreational fishing practices. I am really proud of what they are achieving and how we are spreading the Reef Guardian message together.”
Capture the beauty of our local waterways for your chance to win awesome prizes.
Road upgrades to tree planting and improvements to sewers, local Councils are leading the way
More than 200 species of jellyfish are found along the Great Barrier Reef.
Martine joined the Wet Tropics Waterways team as a Science Technical Officer in early 2024 and is keen to apply her experience in statistical programming and database development for the Report Card.
She is an environmental scientist and ecologist and has worked on water quality and aquatic ecology projects as a consultant and in private industry for over 20 years.
Martine has many hobbies and is currently dabbling in horticulture.
With a degree in marine biology and zoology from JCU, Phil has had a diverse career covering research in fisheries biology, 15 years in reef tourism and 13 years with GBRMPA delivering engagement and partnerships programs. Since 2019 he has been self-employed and operates as a consultant to a range of stakeholders on waterway related programs.
He is a keen fisherman.
James joined Wet Tropics Waterways as Executive Officer in 2021 and is passionate about working with stakeholders to communicate the value of our unique waterways. His role involves facilitating and coordinating our partnership program, growing our network and investment into the report card program, and science communication. James oversaw the 2022 Innovations in Waterway Health Forum, and hosted season four of the Reef and Rivers podcast.
James is an ecologist and has previously worked on wetland management in the Murray Darling basin, fish passage in Mackay, and aquatic research in the Wet Tropics.
Outside of work you’ll find him in a local waterway with a mask and snorkel, or hiking or biking around our beautiful region.
Richard has been the Science Technical Officer for Wet Tropics Waterways since 2016. His role involves producing the annual results for the waterway health assessment of the wet tropics region using data from a wide range of sources, to present as scores and grades, as well as developing new indicators to address knowledge and monitoring gaps. He works in collaboration with technical staff at other regional report cards.
Richard has a background in freshwater ecology research projects and environmental assessments with CSIRO, University of Queensland, Queensland Government and as a consultant. For a long time he’s been interested in freshwater aquaculture and continues this interest through farming freshwater crayfish, alongside other farming activities.