Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with AFANT CEO David Ciaravolo and Habitat Officer Shelley Inglis

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Katie Woolf spoke with AFANT CEO David Ciaravolo and Habitat Officer Shelley Inglis · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
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  Speaker 1: You are our eyes and ears in the Territory Mix
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  Speaker 1: one oh four point nine.
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  Speaker 2: We know that the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory and fishing conservation charity OS Fish Unlimited. Today they've
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  Speaker 2: announced a new partnership which is designed to empower recreational
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  Speaker 2: fishes in the territory to get involved in fish habitat
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  Speaker 2: protection and restoration. Now joining me in the studio to
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  Speaker 2: tell us a bit more about what this is all about.
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  Speaker 2: Northern Territory Fishermen's Association CEO David Chirivolo, Good morning to you, morning, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: And we've also got the Habitat Officer Shelley English. Good
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  Speaker 2: morning to you, Shelley.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning.
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  Speaker 2: Great to have you both in the studio. David, tell
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  Speaker 2: us what this is all about.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I think as people would know that our fant's
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  Speaker 1: been a real passionate protector of the environment for a
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  Speaker 1: long time, and so it makes sense for us to
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  Speaker 1: our partnership, have this partnership with OZ Fish Unlimited, which
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  Speaker 1: is actually about taking that next step, so not just
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  Speaker 1: advocating for the protection environment flowing rivers and that kind
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  Speaker 1: of thing, but actually helping fishes to get involved more
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  Speaker 1: so in citizen science, but also identifying restoration projects. So
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  Speaker 1: we're kicking it off with this brave project, which is
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  Speaker 1: the Baited Underwater Remote Video and it's really exciting because
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  Speaker 1: it provides fishes with an opportunity to not only give back,
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  Speaker 1: but to see what some of their favorite fishing spots
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  Speaker 1: look like underwater and so lock.
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  Speaker 2: How can you every day fishermen and fisher women get involved.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, so we're going to be holding a event next
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  Speaker 3: week at the Trailer Boat Club at six o'clock and
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  Speaker 3: local fishes are invited to come along hear more about
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  Speaker 3: oz fish and what a fan are up to and
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  Speaker 3: what the Blove project will involve and how they can
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  Speaker 3: get involved.
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  Speaker 2: And so what what sort of you know, how look
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  Speaker 2: like when you hear of a baited remote underwater video,
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  Speaker 2: you think, what on earth is that? And what's it
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  Speaker 2: going to say?
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like science fiction. Look, these are actually being
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  Speaker 1: used around the country and around the world. It's a
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  Speaker 1: tried and tested method and there are some use of
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  Speaker 1: them in the territory already through fisheries and tea and
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  Speaker 1: some of their research, but obviously they've got to have
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  Speaker 1: the boat days and researchers to get out there. We've
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  Speaker 1: got a whole fleet of wreckfishes out fishing all the time,
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  Speaker 1: and that's one of the great things about this project
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  Speaker 1: is you can deploy the brove, which is essentially a
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  Speaker 1: frame that houses a GoPro and a light and then
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  Speaker 1: it has an arm on the front of it with
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  Speaker 1: a bait bag attached. We put sardines in there and
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  Speaker 1: that brings in the fish to come and have a look.
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  Speaker 1: So it is really something that I think, you know, Shelley,
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  Speaker 1: anyone can get involved in if they've got a boat,
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  Speaker 1: but we're also looking for people with other skills too.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so we'll be looking for people who want to
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  Speaker 3: get involved in building the brove, so if you're a
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  Speaker 3: bit of a tinker, and then we'll also be looking
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  Speaker 3: for people who are good with their fish identifications to
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  Speaker 3: review the footage and look at what we're seeing.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, and so, Shelley, I mean it must be I
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  Speaker 2: would imagine it's going to be pretty exciting to actually
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  Speaker 2: get camera down there to see what is going on
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  Speaker 2: under the water.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, definitely, But what are you kind.
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  Speaker 2: Of hoping to then do I suppose with that footage
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  Speaker 2: and with that information.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so some of the sites we'll be looking at,
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  Speaker 3: we're actually a part of a report done ten years ago,
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  Speaker 3: and so we really want to compare the data that
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  Speaker 3: we're seeing and look at what might have changed in
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  Speaker 3: that time. And it's really difficult to predict what we
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  Speaker 3: might see, so but we're really hoping it can build
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  Speaker 3: into some future restoration projects, because that's really what we're
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  Speaker 3: looking at next as well.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I suppose some of those really popular areas,
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  Speaker 2: are you wondering whether the you know, the fish population
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  Speaker 2: might have declined slightly, or are you sort of thinking
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  Speaker 2: that you might be able to do you know, do
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  Speaker 2: more to I don't know, to help that area.
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  Speaker 1: You know, we're so blessed in the NT with a
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  Speaker 1: healthy environment, but at the same time, we've seen a
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  Speaker 1: lot of changes in the harbor. We've seen more industrialization,
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  Speaker 1: we've seen more dredging, increase shipping, and as well recreational activity.
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  Speaker 1: So it is a really good opportunity to build up
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  Speaker 1: that capacity. So then in the future and over the
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  Speaker 1: next twelve months, we can go and have a look
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  Speaker 1: at those places that haven't been monitored to see if
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  Speaker 1: there are changes. We'll look for changes in the fish community,
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  Speaker 1: so that the species that are the most dense, and
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  Speaker 1: that's kind of the way that they look at to say,
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  Speaker 1: you know, maybe in the past there was a lot
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  Speaker 1: more golden snapper here and now we're seeing more stripe snapper.
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  Speaker 1: We're not really sure. But what's so exciting about it
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  Speaker 1: is not only to see those spots, but to have
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity to check in, you know, over time, and
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  Speaker 1: to see if there have been changes and are.
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  Speaker 2: There any particular locations that you're really sort of keen
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  Speaker 2: to have a look at.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so we have got a few locations listed as
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  Speaker 3: a part of the project which was funded by the
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  Speaker 3: Australian government, and so we'll be looking at those, but
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  Speaker 3: we'll also be looking back at that project. Like I said,
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  Speaker 3: that was done ten years ago and just having a
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  Speaker 3: sea what's changed.
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  Speaker 2: I reckon it's going to be really interesting and I
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  Speaker 2: would you know, I would guess that most people out
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  Speaker 2: there listening are going to be keen to find out
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  Speaker 2: exactly what's going on as well, and you know, what
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  Speaker 2: type of fish are in some of those areas. I
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  Speaker 2: guess the only time that we really get to tell
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  Speaker 2: us if you catch something, is that right? Or what
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  Speaker 2: you see, well, that's right.
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  Speaker 1: And it's really amazing that if we look at the
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  Speaker 1: data from the study that was done ten years ago,
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  Speaker 1: the most abundance fish that are out there in terms
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  Speaker 1: of numbers are actually ones that we don't catch because
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  Speaker 1: they're not susceptible to be caught on the line. But
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  Speaker 1: then also I think as fish as we know that
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  Speaker 1: quite often we're not catching the fish that are there
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  Speaker 1: as well. So that's really exciting. And you know, when
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  Speaker 1: that study was done and although it was the first time,
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  Speaker 1: there were nineteen new fish species for Darwin Harbor identified,
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  Speaker 1: so not new species, but in dawn Harbor recording darwhn
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  Speaker 1: Harbor for the first time. So it is possible that
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  Speaker 1: we may actually find something that we don't expect to
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  Speaker 1: find and it could be the first time it's recorded.
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  Speaker 1: So it is an exciting opportunity to get involved.
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  Speaker 2: And what period of time is this going to happen
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  Speaker 2: over Is it over the whole year or could it
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  Speaker 2: be longer?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so the grant's going to be happening over the
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  Speaker 3: next few months, but we really want to roll that
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  Speaker 3: pro out over a twelve month period and hopefully be
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  Speaker 3: able to work with fisheries a bit closer and helping
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  Speaker 3: contribute to the data that they've got as well.
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  Speaker 2: Very cool. Now, remind us again where the event is
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  Speaker 2: happening on Wednesday the nineteenth, so that if people are
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  Speaker 2: listening and they're keen to get involved, they can come
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  Speaker 2: on down and find out.
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  Speaker 1: A bit more.
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  Speaker 3: So it'll be Wednesday, the nineteenth of May at the
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  Speaker 3: Trailer Boat Club from six pm.
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  Speaker 2: Awesome stuff. Well, I'll tell you what. Lovely to see
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  Speaker 2: you both this morning, and I really appreciate you coming
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  Speaker 2: in and telling us a bit more about this. I
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  Speaker 2: think it sounds like a really good initiative and I've
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  Speaker 2: no doubt there'll be plenty of Territorians wanting to be involved.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks so much, Katie, And just a quick one. If
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  Speaker 1: people are interested, if they just jump onto the fant website.
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  Speaker 1: They can register through there or through our Facebook links,
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  Speaker 1: and so we'll know that you're coming and we can
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  Speaker 1: be prepared. We've got some nibbles on offer as well.
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  Speaker 2: Well. Our FANCYEO David Chiivolo and Habitat officers Shelly Inglis
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  Speaker 2: lovely to speak to you both this morning. Thanks so
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  Speaker 2: much for your time. Thanks Katy, you are listening to
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  Speaker 2: Mix one oh four point nine's three State