NSW DPI Fisheries is calling all schools and teachers to register now for a free Schools Fishing Program. There is still time to register for the fun and interactive in-class lessons and fishing excursions in your local waterways, where students will learn all the basics of recreational fishing, rules, regulations and hands-on activities such as knot tying, casting target practice and a fun day of practical fishing.
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Students will follow the adventures of the programmes mascots Snappy and Squirt when they join the free Get Hooked... It's Fun to Fish educational program designed for primary school stages 2 and 3 students in NSW. The program will provide students with the basic skills necessary for recreational fishing with the view that it will become a lifelong interest, and introduces students to the concept of sustaining quality aquatic habitats by practicing safe and responsible fishing.
Get Hooked... it's Fun to Fish is made up of six teaching modules which form a Junior Fishing Code and are derived from the National Code principles. The Junior Fishing Codes have been aligned to the Australian Curriculum and meet syllabus outcomes across all Key Learning Areas, under the following codes:
Code 1: 'Take only what you need' - The importance of the food chain and how taking too many of one species of fish may affect the entire chain, so only take enough for your own.
Code 2: 'Fish with friends' - Safety near waterways, awareness of safe fishing conditions and also the importance of always having a responsible fishing friend to go fishing with you.
Code 3: 'You're the solution to water pollution' - How to identify and reduce the impact their actions may have on waterways, in particular the impact litter can have on aquatic species.
Code 4: 'Throw the little ones back' - Students investigate the rules and regulations that relate to the size of fish you are allowed to catch and why we need to keep certain species and sizes of fish for the future.
Code 5: 'Don't leave your tackle behind' - Students develop an understanding of the ways they can reduce the risk to aquatic species by ensuring they are responsible and careful fishers with a respect to the environment they are fishing in.
Code 6: 'Quality catchments equal quality fish' - Students investigate the complex nature of a catchment and develop an understanding of the impacts of human activity in one waterway and how it can impact the entire catchment.
If you are a teacher and you want to register, drop NSW DPI a line by sending an email to gethooked.fisheries@dpi.nsw.gov.au.