Fishos go to school

A new educational program being launched in New South Wales will see school students learning all about their local seafood industry from those who work in it every day -- wild-catch and estuary fishers, oyster farmers, and other seafood workers.

An initiative of Ocean Watch Australia (OWA), Seafood Industry Partnerships in Schools (SIPS) will teach school students of all ages about the different types of fishing and aquaculture operating in NSW, the importance of the industry to NSW communities, and how our fishing resources are used and managed, including what the industry is doing to ensure sustainability.

OWA Executive Chair Brad Warren said one of the benefits of the program was that it would help educate and get kids thinking about where their food comes from: "There is no-one better equipped to talk about these things that those who work in the seafood industry, and that is the beauty of SIPS -- the students will be getting their information straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak," said Mr Warren.

SIPS will be officially launched in NSW next Friday, November 30 at the Sydney Fish Market. The launch will be attended by leaders in the seafood industry, as well as representatives from the education, natural resource management and primary industries sectors. During the event, students from Glebe Public School will join fishermen on the wharf to learn about the local fishing fleet, help the fishermen mend their nets… and of course, eat some fish 'n' chips.

SIPS is funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on behalf of the Australian Government. The program first began in Tasmania in 2010, where its success has led to continued support and expansion into NSW. SIPS is aligned to the new Australian curriculum and offers real-life learning, demonstrating to students how things they learn about in the classroom, such as science and geography, can be applied in an everyday working context.

OWA is a national not-for-profit environmental organisation working to advance sustainability in the Australian seafood industry. OWA's key activities involve enhancing fish habitats and improving water quality in estuaries and coastal environments, working with industry and local communities to minimise environmental impacts and introducing industry and communities to sustainable technologies and behaviours.