Kids "reeled in” at Hat Head

How do you bait a fishing hook? When is the fish you caught too small to keep?

These are some of the questions that Fisheries staff answered at a fishing clinic held at Hat Head recently.

Two of our staff, Tim Donovan and Kelly Gittins, had a great day in the sun helping Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation “reeling in” kids to learn more about fishing as part of their school holiday program.

Staff showed the kids attending tips on everything from baiting hooks and casting techniques, to only keeping the right size fish.

Senior Manager, Aboriginal Engagement and proud Birpai and  Gumbaynggirr man, Tim Donovan, attended the day.

He said the event was a great opportunity for the kids to get more involved with their community and culture as they fish.

“Running a fishing clinic like this brings everyone together from a cultural perspective,” he said.

“We can then tell the kids what it means to Aboriginal people to come together at these gathering places… It's really good for them to connect and come back to where their parents have fished, and their parents’ parents have fished as well.”

Tim said a big focus of the day was teaching participants about responsible fishing practices.

“Fishing is a big part of our culture on the NSW coast, so making sure we do this and look after our beautiful Sea Country as we fish is important.”

Sarah Cohen runs the school holiday program for Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation.

She said it was fantastic to have DPI Fisheries staff involved in running the clinics and providing fishing rods, bait and fishing guidance for attendees.

DPI Fisheries run a range of projects to increase the participation of Aboriginal people in managing Sea Country through Marine Estate Management Strategy Initiative 4.

You can find out more about one of these projects here or by checking out videos in our Sea Country Marine Estate YouTube playlist.