It is my pleasure to welcome you all here to our 62nd Annual General Meeting.
Our Council has had an unprecedented year in terms of engagement thanks to the efforts of our board, clubs, delegates, volunteers and the LegaSea crew. We have welcomed Helen Pastor to the team and she has made it through her first ITM Simrad Nationals fishing tournament with few scars thanks to the fishing sub-committee’s work. With an eye to the future it is pleasing to see the growth of youth learning through the success of the Hiwi the Kiwi programme and LegaSea’s FishCare initiative.
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is privileged to have such a dedicated LegaSea team on the job. Through their professionalism they have managed to secure five platinum partners and over 40 gold partner brands in the past year. The Council, clubs and affiliated members have benefited from the increased exposure that LegaSea is generating. The various goods and services on offer to save money is ever-expanding and I encourage clubs and affiliated members to make the most of these opportunities.
Helen Pastor has successfully taken up the challenge of Administration Officer for the Council. Helen brings years of experience as a legal executive. Her willingness to try anything and get on the road to visit several clubs to see how it works for real is a bonus.
We are in our eighth year of our Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing programme. This award-winning interactive show has appeared at over 1100 primary and intermediate schools nationwide. Mark de Lacy, aka The Minstrel, and wife Chrissy have wowed more than 360,000 pupils sharing the important messages of conservation, respecting the marine creatures and safety at sea.
The success of Hiwi the Kiwi is due in a large part to the ongoing commitment of two New Zealand icons who have been there from the start, Kilwell and New Zealand Fishing News magazine. Kilwell generously donates resources including a rod and reel to each school visited. New Zealand Fishing News provides ongoing support and publish the most engaging story from each school in their magazine, keeping the initiative in the public eye. Funding is always an issue and Helen has been able to secure some more funding for this year for the Hiwi the Kiwi initiative. Thanks team.
Lastly, many thanks to the dedicated Fisheries Management – Marine Protection team ably led by Peter Campbell. Their outputs are a credit to the Council and I encourage all members to get in behind their effort to protect our fishing interests.
I am stepping down as President this Annual General Meeting. Thank you all for your support over the past three years and I look forward to catching up with you or your club delegates after the meeting.
Phil Appleyard