Young Fisher Taking Leadership Seriously
A Napier fisherman is upskilling by taking part in the Australian National Seafood Industry Leadership Programme.
Napier fisher Mike Terry, skipper of 13.5 metre trawler Atlantic Dawn, is on this year’s Programme.
Terry, who is the only New Zealand-based participant, said he was inspired to take part after talking to Adam Clow, who took part in 2015.
"Adam got up and did a speech at the Federation [of Commercial Fishermen] conference last year and I saw the improvements he had made, so I just went from there,” Terry said.
The programme is broken up into three sessions, throughout Australia, over a six month period, with Terry having already completed two.
"We went to Darwin for the first session in March and I have just been to Sydney where we went through the fish market,” he said.
"We met the Chair of the market, did cooking lessons and met some of the ex-participants.
"The final session is in September and that's what we have been working towards.
"We go to Parliament and we present to them on the sustainability of the fishing industry."
The sessions were about developing communication and management skills, team building and media training, he said.
"It's not so much to do with the boat, but to learn the entire industry.
“I’d really recommend it to people.
"There are a lot of young guys we need to get into leadership positions. There isn't as many coming through as there used to be.”