Representing Sea Change Australia and Redmap Australia Professor Gretta Pecl AM and Olivia Johnson were thrilled to attend and lead an engaging workshop last week at the 2025 Australian Recreational Fishing Forum hosted by the Australian recreational fishing foundation on the beautiful Gold Coast!

The 70 minute workshop, “Navigating Stewardship: Building a Sustainable Future for Recreational Fishing” brought together passionate fishers, leaders, and community members to unpack what stewardship means in practice.

Together, we:
✅ Shared local stories and experiences
✅ Identified positive behaviours already happening on the water
✅ Co-created practical strategies to boost sustainability and enhance public perception

Key themes included reciprocity, social licence, and ocean literacy, sparking powerful conversations about behaviour change, collaboration, and overcoming misconceptions about rec fishers.

We also spotlighted “bright spots” like citizen science, habitat restoration, and responsible fishing practices. The session wrapped with individual pledges for stewardship action—moving toward a thriving, resilient future for our oceans and rec fishing communities.

Professor Sean Tracey (Sea Change Australia and Tuna Champions) also ran a fantastic workshop on exploring the diverse values of recreational fishing beyond just its economic impact, and Associate Professor Satoshi Yamazaki delivered a compelling presentation on the value of recreational fishing, regardless of catch rates.

Great to see such strong representation from the University of Tasmania and incredible energy from across the recreational fishing community!