South Australians are to be encouraged to get on board with the mental health and wellbeing benefits of fishing in a new campaign from the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (MRFAC).
Announcing Let’s Fish SA, the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, David Basham said the campaign featured a series of 15-second videos promoting how recreational fishing could assist wellbeing and mental health.
Mr Basham said that while many recreational fishers were aware firsthand of the health and wellbeing benefits gained from dropping a line in the water, it was an aspect of recreational fishing that was often not well promoted.
“Recreational fishing provides a great opportunity for friends and families to spend time together, reconnecting with nature and enjoying the great outdoors,” Mr Basham said.
Independent Chair of the MRFAC, Sharon Starick said the aim of the Let’s Fish SA video campaign was to encourage people back to recreational fishing and nature more broadly, whether it was at a coastal jetty, on the water or inland waterways.
“The aim and objective is to encourage people to go outside into the environment, be it rivers, reservoirs, lakes or ocean and participate in recreational fishing in a non-restricted environment,” Ms Starick said.
“The videos are essentially a visual cue to remind people why they enjoyed going out for a fish in the past and the benefits of returning to such activities as we start to look at life beyond COVID restrictions,” she said.
Videos and information on the Let’s Fish SA campaign can be accessed at this PS News link.
