ALBAA Central Coast Environmental Action Avoca Beach

3 May 2008

On the 3rd of May 2008 the Australian Land Based Anglers Association (ALBAA) held it’s third environmental action in conjunction with both Gosford City Council and Clean Up Australia.

The focus of this action was the prominent rock ledge at the southern end of Avoca beach. This location has been identified by ALBAA as a ‘high impact area’, on approaching Gosford City Council our local representatives found this concern is mutual.

Due to its relatively easy access this area sees a high amount of traffic from both anglers and tourists alike. Unfortunately these factors combined with a large contingency of out of town anglers sees a beautiful area in regular neglect. As such this area has been nominated and consequently verified for a position in the ALBAA ‘Ledge Care Program’.

The ALBAA ‘Ledge Care Program’ is borne of local responsibility, by instilling in others a keen understanding of environmental stewardship it is perceived that these remarkable habitats can be preserved for the quiet enjoyment of all visiting and local users. Although it may, at first seem, an insurmountable task the results of this clean up effort has shown that, ‘when leading by example one can make a difference’.

Although ALBAA is a national association, area action groups are established to maintain local habitats. The stewardship and encouragement received from our Central Coast group has led to further reinforcing this model.

With the continued support of local management bodies and organisations like Clean Up Australia members of the ALBAA are confident they can achieve their core objective of facilitating a cultural change among land based anglers. Thus instilling an inherent sense of environmental responsibility and a general affinity with the areas in which they practice, as such ALBAA would like to see its ‘zero tolerance to litter’ extended to the general community and adopted by all area users.

On this occasion ALBAA would like to extend its gratitude to those peoples and organisations for making this event possible: Samantha Lamb and all those at Clean Up Australia for organising the equipment required to perform this environmental action and for their continued support of our Association. Special thanks also to James Lawson and all other contributors at Gosford City Council for ensuring all refuse collected during the event was disposed of appropriately and organising additional rubbish collections in the area during the lead up to the event.

On the day, ALBAA would like to thank (as a collective) its members who volunteered their time in an effort to see the Associations objectives fulfilled and their local environment maintained. To Chris Grant, Gavin Beveridge, Nick Stylianou, Sarah and Christian Gough we would like to extend our gratitude.

Further to this ALBAA would like to thank Stan Konstantaras of the Australian National Sport Fishing Association (ANSA) for providing ALBAA with the rock fishing safety DVDs distributed on the day.

These safety DVDs were produced by ANSA in partnership with Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW, Recreational Fishing Trusts and NSW Sport & Recreation several years ago and funded by the federal government in an admirable effort to reduce the risk, through education, to those new to the environment. The DVD’s also contain guidelines essential for safe rock fishing practices in coastal areas that can become dangerous due to inclement weather and are complimented with the addition of subtitles in several languages.

Stan and ANSA have been working very closely, for more than a decade, with any agency able and willing to aid them in their rock fishing safety initiates and have undoubtedly been instrumental in a near 50% reduction in deaths that have occurred due to rock fishing accidents. ALBAA’s commitment to ‘mentor the young and less experienced’ finds a direct correlation to ANSA’s efforts and as such, those members involved, were more than happy to continue ANSA’s exceedingly meritable efforts.

ALBAA’s ‘Ledge Care Program’ appears to be working with many anglers and other bystanders getting involved on the day by actively picking up any rubbish within their vicinity whilst the clean up is taking place. This rubbish is then handed it to nearest ALBAA member for removal from the ledge where it can be disposed of properly.

One member of the local community even stated, after a discussion about why ALBAA members were there, ‘Thanks guys, you’ve restored my faith in humanity a little today’.

It would appear the ALBAA message is touching a few members of the local community.

For the Association these type of comments, from prominent persons within the local community, are seen as validation for the model that has been established by a group of concerned anglers who’s ideals are more than transparent in the Associations objectives and code of conduct.