There are plenty of hidden fishing spots around Tasmania, and Quenton Higgs knows all of them.
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After 15 years working as Fishcare’s Northern volunteer coordinator, Mr Higgs has retired as a highly respected member of the fishing community.
In his time as the Northern Fishcare volunteer coordinator, Mr Higgs organised a team of about 30 volunteers into an active network of experts ready to inform and advise on all things fish and fishing-related.
“This region runs from Deloraine to Flinders Island, Bicheno back through to the Great Lakes and to Launceston,” Mr Higgs said.
“I know the people, I know the boats in those specific villages around the area – and that’s what was key to it, tracking down enthusiastic people in those geographical locations spread around the region.
“We’ve got volunteers in Launceston, Exeter, Beauty Point, George Town, Bellingham, Bridport, we’ve had people at Tomahawk but there’s no one there at the moment, and then St Helens, St Mary’s.
“All those people have got a pretty good knowledge of what’s going on in the recreational fishing area.”
Those volunteers formed a network dedicated to working with Fisheries Tasmania, forming a valuable conduit to share information and provide expert knowledge and advice to recreational fishers around the state.
Mr Higgs said the great success of Fishcare, established in 1998, was simple: the dedication to four key messages.
At all of their appearances at schools, markets, clubs and community events, volunteers have a straightforward brief.
“They convey four simple messages: measure your catch, release undersized fish, gently put the little ones back, and care for the environment,” Mr Higgs said.
“Everyone has got the same goal, and that’s … fish for the future.
“When your grandchildren go down to Freycinet and toss a line in the water, hopefully they’ll be able to catch a fish much the same as we can catch today.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
Over the years of working as a volunteer coordinator, Mr Higgs said he had developed a deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the people who gave up their time for their community and the environment.
When your grandchildren go down to Freycinet and toss a line in the water, hopefully they’ll be able to catch a fish much the same as we can catch today.
- Quentin Higgs
Before joining Fisheries Tasmania, Mr Higgs and his family travelled, worked, surfed and fished around the country.
“I was with the airlines for probably 25 years and I managed to fish right around Australia and indeed quite a lot of places right around the world,” he said.
“I had four years in New Guinea, and those opportunities in New Guinea and in Melbourne provided great opportunity to fish those local areas, so I was able to continue my hobby and further my knowledge in those areas.”
After several years in Newcastle, the Higgs family returned to Tasmania, and Mr Higgs managed a ‘work for the dole’ scheme in Launceston – something that gave him a clear understanding of how best to motivate and support people.
“I quickly found that to create interest, to create enthusiasm, you needed to have what I called a go-to-whoa project,” he said.
“Something that they started … and something that they finished and could see a tangible result.
“The two standouts were the two 24-foot yachts we built for Sailability [Tasmania] … we won a national award with that.”
When Fisheries Tasmania put out the call for a new Northern volunteer coordinator, Mr Higgs was the ideal candidate.
“I couldn’t believe it when this job was advertised – fishing!” he said.
Over the years there have been plenty of changes in the seas he and his team have worked to protect, from the rising hot spot on the East Coast, the changing species now appearing in Tasmanian seas, to the risks of overfishing.
“Wild Fisheries have had to bring in some fairly strong management plans [for Rock Lobster] on the East Coast, they’ve reduced the bag limit over a few years from five per person, per day to two per person, per day.
“This season, though, these management plans are starting to see positive results, and the catches are very, very good. That’s another success story.”
But now it’s time for the success stories to be told by someone else, while Mr Higgs and his wife retire to their small farm out near Liffey, with, perhaps, some travel as well.
And will he go fishing?
“I think I might, yeah.”