Rocky fishing to go global
Published on 19 June 2018
Live images of people fishing on the mighty Fitzroy will be beamed across the planet later this month, as Rockhampton stars in a 24 hour World Fishing Day broadcast.
In a never-before-attempted global live fishing marathon, the broadcast will stream 24 locations to showcase the incredible diversity of fishing cultures and opportunities that the world has to offer.
Hosted from a studio in London, the action will begin in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, before following the sun around the world, finally ending in Alaska.
Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Tony Williams, said Rockhampton’s selection as the Australian location demonstrated the region’s international reputation when it comes to fishing.
“We have long known Rockhampton is the home of the Barramundi, and now the rest of the world is getting to know it too.
“We are the only location in Australia to be featured in this international broadcast, and it’s not hard to see why.
“With incredible fishing opportunities against the backdrop of Mount Archer but still right in the heart of the CBD, we are one of the best places in the world for anglers. We’d love to see our residents come down for the broadcast and help us show that off – I’ll certainly be dropping a line in myself.”
John Haenke from Offshore Productions, who will be filming the event, said this wasn’t just about the fun of catching fish.
“It’s also about fishing conservation, sustainability and the health of the ecosystem. Rockhampton and the Fitzroy has a great story to tell the world about getting the nets out, all the great monitoring work done by Infofish and the Crystal Bowl project, and how quickly the fish stocks in the river have been rebounding.
“The fact that the Rockhampton Regional Council has been so pro-active and supportive of the net free zone, and is one of the few councils I’ve come across that realises the value of recreational fishing to the region as shown by their Voluntary Code of Practice, is also an important part of the story. It really does highlight the incredible power of angling to make positive changes in the world and in people’s lives.”
Residents and visitors are invited to come down to the CBD riverside from 9am to 3pm to be part of the broadcast, and encouraged to throw a line into the Fitzroy themselves.
World Fishing Day – June 23rd 2018 - is the first ever attempt to bring anglers all over the world together to celebrate the joys of angling, bring new people into the sport, and highlight the incredible power of angling to make positive changes in the world and in people’s lives.
The idea was born out of a desire to see more people fall in love with fishing.
The day consists of two pillars:
- A network of free fishing events around the world
- A 24-hour live broadcast from amazing fishing locations around the world.
To find out more about watching the event on June 23rd, click here.
To find out more about fishing in the Rockhampton Region, click here.