Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh encourages local anglers to get their applications in for the NSW Government’s Recreational Fishing Trust grants, which are now open.
Mr Singh said the grants are a fantastic opportunity to fund projects which will improve and promote recreational fishing across the Coffs Coast.
A local beneficiary of this program is the Get Hooked with CASPA project, run by CASPA Services in Coffs Harbour. They are using their $8520 in funding allocated earlier this year to educate and skill up young people in out-of-home care on how to fish for food sustainably.
“I want to see as many of our local anglers as possible take up this chance to promote a pastime I know they are already very involved in,” Mr Singh said.
“More than one million anglers take to the state’s waters each and every year, many of whom are in our region, so please get your ideas together and put in an application for a project through the Recreational Fishing Trust grants.
“This might include projects for enhancing recreational fishing, new facilities and access to local spots to wet a line, education including fishing workshops, as well as essential recreational research.”
Mr Singh encourages fishers to get their applications in to the NSW Department of Primary Industries before Friday, 3 December.
“Every year, anglers pay their licence fees which are then reinvested back into projects like this, so if you’ve got an idea, please get it in as soon as possible,” Mr Singh said.
Grants are available for large projects valued at more than $10,000 in funding and small projects involving less than $10,000. Joint saltwater and freshwater projects are also encouraged.
Funding guidelines and application forms for the next round of the Recreational Fishing Trusts grants are available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.
