A fishing industry veteran who is keen to foster a more collaborative approach to management of Australia’s marine and aquatic resources has been awarded the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s scholarship as part of the highly regarded Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP). 

Fisheries management and stakeholder engagement specialist Rob Fish, of Lennox Head, New South Wales, will join the 29th cohort of the ARLP.  Rob has worked in government roles and commercial fishing for over 20 years; including serving as chair of the Northern Territory Seafood Council for 11 years.  

The ARLP is Australia’s longest running leadership development program which creates a network of change makers to benefit their organisations, industries and communities across rural and regional Australia. The FRDC scholarship is one of 28 scholarships under the ARLP, each valued at $50,000, 

FRDC Managing Director Dr Patrick Hone congratulated Rob on his selection for the program. 

‘Rob has a high level of technical and policy expertise, and we believe the ARLP will be highly beneficial for developing his broader leadership capacity’, Dr Hone says. 

‘Rob is committed to bringing innovation to the industry as a whole. He understands the bigger picture and demonstrates the conceptual and analytical skills needed for leadership’. 

Support for the ARLP is part of FRDC’s integrated leadership development program, which includes the Nuffield Australia scholarship and the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program. 

‘The long-term capability and capacity of Australia’s fishing and aquaculture sectors to lead and compete internationally and operate sustainably, will be determined by our ability to navigate changing circumstances and adopt new technologies and production practices’, Dr Hone says. 

‘As primary industries face an unprecedented rate of change, an adaptive and networked approach to leadership spanning industries and borders, is more important than ever.’ 

Rob says he is excited about the practical nature of the program and the opportunity to learn from leaders across different fields. 

‘The fishing industry is under pressure to cut costs and focus on shorter and shorter gains, while facing ever-increasing regulation’, he says.  

‘I see an urgent need for our marine stakeholders, including commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers, to have a shared vision on utilising our valuable resources. 

‘The impact I would most like to have as a leader is to improve the collaboration between our stakeholders. The current adversarial approach is failing everyone, and we are far from maximising the benefits from utilising our marine resources’. 

More information: ARLP and how to apply