The Association
Southern Fishermen’s
Association Inc.
SFA was established in 1939 to represent the interests of Lakes and
Coorong commercial fishers. The SFA has been pro-active in promoting
improved environmental management practices in the fishery across
a number of areas, which include:
- Developing an Environmental Management Plan;
- Developing industry best practice guidelines
to minimise by-catch;
- Advocating for improved water flow strategies
and fish passage;
- Developing markets for the human consumption
of exotic species;
- Supporting changes to mesh size regulations
to improve net selectivity;
- Promoting the introduction of regulations
for mesh net ply ratings and breaking strains;
- Supporting the prohibition of power hauling
nets in the Coorong lagoons;
- Supporting size limits increases for black
bream and flounder; and
- Maintaining the use of manual harvesting methods
for Goolwa cockles.
Vision Statement
‘The Lakes & Coorong Fishery will be recognised and acknowledged
as a world leading sustainable and dynamic fishery which, through
responsible management, ethical harvest and innovative value-adding
of the natural resource, will be an industry vital to the prosperity
of the region.’
Mission
Statement
‘The Lakes and Coorong Commercial Fishery, through the SFA,
undertakes to perpetuate, initiate and adopt management practices,
processes and projects that will enable it to remain sustainable,
viable and profitable in perpetuity.’
Management Committee
EXECUTIVE |
|
President Garry Hera-Singh |
Coorong Delegate Daryl Hera-Singh
|
| Vice-President Tracy Hill |
Lakes Delegate Adrian Phillips
|
Secretary Rod Ayres |
Beach Delegate Darren Hoad
|
Treasurer
Glen Hill |
Goolwa Delegate Greg Kessegian
|
| |
WIN Delegate Gloria Jones
|
| REPRESENTATIONS |
South Australian Fishing Industry Council Board:
Henry Jones
Inland Fisheries Management Committee: Garry
Hera-Singh, Tracy Hill
ILUA Fishing and Aquaculture Side Table:
Glen Hill
Coorong Consultative Committee (DEH): Garry
Hera-Singh
South Australian Seafood Plan Implementation (SASI)
Committee: Tracy Hill
Southeast Consultative Committee: Garry
Hera-Singh
|
Awards
- First Multi-species, Multi-gear Community Fishery
Worldwide to seek Independent Marine Stewardship Council Sustainability
Certification (finalisation pending 2006)
- Finalist, Australian Seafood Industry Environment
Award 2003
- Winner, South Australian Fishing and Seafood
Industry “Fishing for the Future” Environmental Award
2003
- Winner, SA Great Regional Science & Environment
Award 2002
- South Australian Fishing and Seafood Industry
“Fishing for the Future” Environmental Award 2001
- Finalist, Australian seafood Industry (Inaugural)
environmental Award 2001
- Winner South Australian Fishing and Seafood
Industry “Fishing for the Future” Environmental Award
1999
- South Australian Fishing and Seafood Industry
“Fishing for the Future” Environmental Award 1997
Initiatives
Environmental Management Plan
Broadly speaking, society as a whole does not perceive
the commercial fishing industry and its participants as environmentally
responsible. In fact the quite the opposite, with many members of
the public viewing the industry as a cause of significant damage and
degradation to the aquatic environment. This is unfortunate because
we believe that while such criticism may be justified for some fisheries
around the world, it is certainly not the case for the Lakes and Coorong
Fishery.
With a history going back almost one and a half
centuries, we recognise that a healthy environment in the Lakes and
Coorong region is crucial to our livelihood. We believe a healthy
and environmentally sustainable ecosystem results in a healthy economically
sustainable fishery. Consequently we endeavour to conduct our activities
in a manner that minimises any adverse impact and where possible enhances
the health of the ecosystem. As stakeholders with a permanent presence
in the region we believe that we have a key role to play in the maintenance
and enhancement of the environmental well being of the Lakes and Coorong.
On the other hand we make no claim to be perfect.
While we would argue our aims and motives have never been in question,
we acknowledge that our actions may have at times been lacking in
their application. The manner in which we have addressed environmental
issues in the past has tended to use a common sense approach, conducted
on a informal and uncoordinated basis. Generally each individual fisher
has been responsible for their own actions with only a few matters
involving a more collective approach. While we believe that this has
yielded a positive environmental outcome we seek further improvements,
made possible through an integrated, cooperative approach. The adoption
of this Environmental Management Plan is a major step toward achieving
this.
The aim of the plan was to produce a formal, coordinated,
industry wide response to the manner in which we conduct all of our
activities with respect to interactions with the environment. This
document represented the output of the first stage of the process
in which we have conducted an initial review of our activities and
identified various objectives, actions and targets for the year 1998/99.
Stage two is currently under development.
This plan was not designed to be developed in isolation;
in fact a key aspect of the plan is its cooperative approach. The
plan itself is the result of a partnership venture between the Southern
Fishermen’s Association and the Inland Waters Program of SARDI
(Aquatic Sciences). Several other key stakeholder groups have or will
be contacted in order to access their help and obtain their comments
and input, to help maximise the benefits of the plan. By its nature
the plan will never be finalised as it is designed to be adapted in
response to change and the desire to consistently improve our environmental
performance.
Our environmental management plan is important because
it will help to achieve a healthier environment. In undertaking this
plan the Southern Fishermen’s Association hopes to demonstrate
to the community, the important and increasing role we play in maintaining
and improving the health of the environment. In addition we hope to
demonstrate to other industries that interact with the environment,
in particular other fisheries, how they too can play a similar role.
Marine Stewardship Council Certification
The SFA is currently seeking independent third party
accreditation of the fishery’s operation under the Marine Stewardship
Council (MSC) assessment framework. The MSC is an independent, global,
non-profit organisation whose role is to recognise, via a certification
program, well-managed fisheries and to harness consumer preference
for seafood products bearing the MSC label of approval (MSC, 2002).
Successful accreditation of the fishery under the MSC assessment framework
may provide improved opportunities for commercial fishers to increase
domestic and overseas market demand for species harvested from the
fishery. See fact sheet 10
“The Southern Fishermen’s
Association believes that MSC certification, coupled with independent
science, aggressive environmental partnerships with local conservation
groups and active communication of our role as environmental watchdogs
to our local community will guarantee our future. If like most fishermen,
we just keep fishing and don’t work for the future, we won’t
have a future.”
From "SFA and WWF—Partnership” Brochure
Back to Top
