Ministry of Fisheries to make presentation to Blenheim students for fishing invention

29 October 2008

The Ministry of Fisheries is making a special presentation on Thursday 30th October to two Blenheim students for their invention of the Fishaway device which protects blue cod from shags while being returned to the water.

Inshore Fisheries Manager Scott Williamson will be making a presentation of Certificates of Achievement to Portia Barcello and Anna Jones, both 12, of year 7 in Bohally Intermediate School in Blenheim.

“I’m delighted on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries to make this special presentation to Portia and Anna in recognising their wonderful achievement of inventing Fishaway”, said Scott Williamson of the Ministry of Fisheries, “It will be a great help to fishers in protecting blue cod from shags when they are returning them to the water, and is a valuable tool to assist in conserving and regenerating our blue cod stocks for current and future generations of fishers”

Fishaway is a foldable waterproof tube which enables fishers to put blue cod back into the water without attracting shags, which can attack blue cod when fishers return them back into the water.