Sunfish. What have they done for those of us in QLD??

[finga]

OK all.
I've been wondering what Sunfish actually does and about the only thing I can say that I have seen them do is that their name is mentioned at a kids fishing day that happens out here every few years.
I've got no idea what amount of our money, or support, they put into our little kids day as a lot of local businesses organise and support the day. One sports shop in particular is the reason the days actually occur I feel.
I have no idea if a Sunfish rep goes to them.

A few years ago I noticed my fishing was all going to poo.
Since then I've been trying to pay attention to what is happening around me that will influence the depth of poo.
About this time I realised there was a Sunfish and they are supposed to represent me....and I pay for it's existence.
All information I gathered from this forum.
I seem to see a recurrence of debacles that Sunfish seem to place us (as a group of recreational anglers) into over the last few years. The latest put down to a mis-understanding between Minister and Sunfish (simplistically put). That mis-understanding is better described by Barry here
Is this just my imagination?

What has Sunfish done for you?
What have you seen Sunfish do that actually enhance your fishing experiences?
I'm buggered if I know what they've done for me.

Do you feel they represent you as a recreational angler who is 'lucky' enough to live in QLD?

Cheers then
Scott

[charleville]

I'm buggered if I know what they've done for me.

Do you feel they represent you as a recreational angler who is 'lucky' enough to live in QLD?

I have wondered about the same things, Finga.

I have put it down to the observation that some people just love creating and joining committees and associations. It makes them feel important, I suppose. Committees are not such great achievers of anything, of course, unless they have a charismatic leader who drives policy and action and the others lock step behind that person. Perhaps they lack such leadership. Dunno - I have heard their name and the odd radio interview with them but they seem well tamed by the government - which suggests to me that they are fairly useless.


However, I am just a slow talkin' country boy from western Queensland and there is lots about human nature that I don't understand. Like, why any pastime has to end up having competitions? Fishing competitions??? I don't get it. Fishing is a relaxing activity to me. If people want to be competitive, why don't they do it properly and play squash?


Sigh! So many complexities in life.


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[Neil81]

im sure if you go on there website you can find out everything you need tpo know

[tunaticer]

The whole Sunfish thing seems to me to be a copy of most union movements, pay your fees regardless of if you want to be a part of it or not, pay for the privelige to be spoken for (I can't say I agree with what they say for a large part), then pay through the nose by the changes that are implemented through their consultations with the government through the new legislations imposed on us all.
It is all about POWER for those involved, just like union delegates and union hierarchy who are all so big personalities and riding the wave for more power and more than likely moneys somewhere hidden along the way. They don't care if we have a stop work meeting or strike (closed seasons) or if the grounds are blacklisted (greenzones), they still have their perceived power and they are happy. Somehow, Sunfish and Labor are a perfect marriage, albeit completely dysfunctional.

[goat boy]

That post by Tunaticer seems to be pretty much my perception too. On the other hand though, in this day and age of endless red tape surrounding our once took-for-granted outdoor activity; don't we, as recreation anglers need some sort of voice/representation?
What would be a better alternative to Sunfish? (to be honest though, I know 4/5 of FA of what they do). Who would be willing to step into that sort of role and feel the wrath of the masses? There is a politician lurking here somewhere, input? idea? opinion?

[Gazza]

Yeah guys.....I pay "car rego severals times"....WHERE'S my @##$%$%^$ consultation on "ROADS/TOLLS" expenditure ??

Keep it Reel.....Ausfish , is the best sounding board for QLD RecFishos "issues" .....jmo

[PinHead]

Yeah guys.....I pay "car rego severals times"....WHERE'S my @##$%$%^$ consultation on "ROADS/TOLLS" expenditure ??

Keep it Reel.....Ausfish , is the best sounding board for QLD RecFishos "issues" .....jmo

you can ear bash your local MP over raods etc..same as i earbash mine over fisheries amongst other things.

Bruce and Jack summed it up pretty well..egos doing somehting that no one really wants.

Bloody hell Neil..people need Sunfish to show them how to teach a kid..I better find out more before I take my grandson fishing again.

[Mike Delisser]

Is it that time again finga? I know you winge a lot but blaming Sunfish cause you can't catch as many fish as you use to might be saying more about you than it does about Sunfish.
I could tell you that aprox $17 out of every boat rego goes to the QLD GOVERNMENT as a PPV Levy and out of that about 50 cents will go to Sunfish, ($16.50 to the Gov to spend on improving boating facilities - 50 cents to Sunfish) but I know you already know that don't you. That 50 cents you winge about is used for Junior Education Clinics, Surveys that show the value of rec fishing in $ terms (used to show rec anglers value each year to the states economy and promote our cause) and IF there is any left over it makes up a small part of the admin costs (the major part of this always comes from memberships)
I'll add too that I've attended one of their Kids Clinics and I recon around 1/2 the kids wouldn't have had a father figure around to teach them to fish. Many of us on this site take alot of things for granted when it comes to fishing but some of these kids were at least 15 years old and had never been fishing in their lives, just because there was't anyone to take them. Fortunately for them there's people around who think introducing as many kids as possible to fishing is good for all of us anglers in the long run.

If you like finga I'll send you 50 cents every year so you don't have to winge about being ripped off by Sunfish or helping those damm kids, what was that post of your's awhile back, "What's wrong with some of the youth of today". Ahh hang on, the 50 cents won't get to you anyway because of your problems with Aussie Post re "Australia Post, what an absolute bloody joke". Perhaps I could send it via Paypal, opps, I forgot about your winge in "Paypal" earlier this year. Maybe just PM me your BSB and acc number and I'll send you 50 cents that way every year, that's unless you've got a problem with the banks?????

[Feral]

Always someone who wants to sook at representative bodies, usually always someone who cant be bothered joining up and making a difference or having a go themselves.

I too am trained by sunfish to teach people how to fish. A 2 day course where they teach you all sorts of useful things about running an event.

Apart from the take a kid fishing days which is funded through Sunfish by the Govt, Sunfish cough up the insurance for any other fishing clinic I fancy putting on.

Sunfish represent me at Govt Level, they inform me what they are doing, they publish regular reports, Barry sends out a monthly email, they have a lot of people who do a lot of hard work for fisho's, like John Crone who co-ordinates the kids fishing days, Keith Latimer who trains the trainers, as well as co-ordinates all the training days that get put on, just to mention a couple.

Mostly they do it for love, because they care about promoting their chosen sport, (just like most other representative bodies for just about any sport). Strangely enough they dont do it just to see how much abuse they can cop on fishing forums, or how long it takes for the whinger brigade to hijack their threads when they ask for information.

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[PinHead]

well there ya go feral..and who are they representative of? Maybe you but not me and I object to them claiming they represent rec anglers..they represent their members and no one else.
I do not need them nor anyone else making represenations on my behalf to the Govt on rec angling issues.
AND...I also object the PPV funding them. Get their members to fund them.
If the Govt feel the need to dish out the PPV to anyone they desire, I would much rather they gave it to VMR and Coastguard.

[SUPERDAFF]

Always someone who wants to sook at representative bodies, usually always someone who cant be bothered joining up and making a difference or having a go themselves.

I too am trained by sunfish to teach people how to fish. A 2 day course where they teach you all sorts of useful things about running an event.

Apart from the take a kid fishing days which is funded through Sunfish by the Govt, Sunfish cough up the insurance for any other fishing clinic I fancy putting on.

Sunfish represent me at Govt Level, they inform me what they are doing, they publish regular reports, Barry sends out a monthly email, they have a lot of people who do a lot of hard work for fisho's, like John Crone who co-ordinates the kids fishing days, Keith Latimer who trains the trainers, as well as co-ordinates all the training days that get put on, just to mention a couple.

Mostly they do it for love, because they care about promoting their chosen sport, (just like most other representative bodies for just about any sport). Strangely enough they dont do it just to see how much abuse they can cop on fishing forums, or how long it takes for the whinger brigade to hijack their threads when they ask for information.

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Right on Feral ... or perhaps that should be 'write on'. You've nailed it perfectly. In all my travels around this globe, I have never once come across a statue erected to a critic. Sure, plenty of statues to people who achieved unbelievable milestones and yes, plenty to people who stuffed up. Plenty not erected where perhaps they could have been. But never one to honor the bleatings of a critic. That may be because criticism without offering a constructive solution, a part solution or even just an attempt to steer others in the direction of one is IMHO, a trait of weakness.

Damn - now I'm also going to have to reconsider how I think about 'ferals' seeing as one finally made great and constructive sense. SUPERDAFF

[PinHead]

wow SD..where do I find the Sunfish statue?
I will give you a constructive solution..how about ALL the PPV go to providing better boating facilitioes eg ramps etc.
A weakness is sitting back big noting that you represent people that you have no right in representing..that is alluding to false pretence in my books.
If Sunfish want to promote their ideas to Govt that is good BUT let them fund themselves and only make representations for their members and no one else.

[Boat Hog]

If the Govt feel the need to dish out the PPV to anyone they desire, I would much rather they gave it to VMR and Coastguard.

As a resident of NSW, I had to look into what this PPV thing was. Imagine my amazement when I discovered it was a Private Pleasure Vessel Levy (try saying that after a few sherbets).

Sunfish state that; " ... $3.8 million collected annually from Queensland ... recreational boat owners in the form of the PPV levy & from the Stocked Impoundment (SIP) Permit. "

So if you own a registered boat and don't even fish you "sponsor" Sunfish.

If you beach, rock, estuary or fresh water(not stocked impoundment) fish without a registered boat you pay nothing towards Sunfish.

Yet, Sunfish claim they represent all Rec Fishers (as the "States peak recreational fishing group").

So they collect funding from people they don't represent (boat owners who don't fish) and recieve no funding from some of the fishers they do represent (fishers who either don't own a registered boat or have a stocked impoundment permit).

I am not saying anything about the work of Sunfish. But their lop sided revenue collection seems wrong.

I'm with Pinhead on this one. Give the PPV Levy to VMR, Coastguard, maybe even better boat ramps and boating facilites.

Cheers,

[STUIE63]

wow SD..where do I find the Sunfish statue?
I will give you a constructive solution..how about ALL the PPV go to providing better boating facilitioes eg ramps etc.
A weakness is sitting back big noting that you represent people that you have no right in representing..that is alluding to false pretence in my books.
If Sunfish want to promote their ideas to Govt that is good BUT let them fund themselves and only make representations for their members and no one else.

Greg there should be a statue in the north for the great work sunfish did in the gbrmp debacle and there should be a couple down south for the stellar work they did in the mbmp and the snapper fiasco . oh that is right there is a big pineapple somewhere

[Neil81]

cant believe what im reading!!! seriously if you can do so much better then step up to the plate!!!