Women’s participation in recreational fishing has grown to outstrip men’s in the Northern Territory, according to new data released by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
Key points:
- Secret Women’s Business Barra Challenge all-women’s fishing event is in its 17th year
- Women travel from all over Australia and there is a long waiting list to participate
- According to government figures, more women fish recreationally in the NT than men
Running counter to trends across the rest of the country, 33 per cent of women fish recreationally in the Northern Territory, compared with 32.7 per cent of men.
But Peta Smart from Darwin says stigma persists despite years of experience on the water.
“There’s still that stigma up here that women can’t do it all, that we can’t back boats and we can’t certainly take the boat out without our husbands being there,” she said.
“But we’ve been doing this for a long time now and we certainly can.”
Women in the NT fish at nearly twice the rate of women in other states, with just 17.8 per cent fishing on average across all Australian states and territories.
Barra Challenge draws 200 fishers
Almost 200 women braved blistering heat in boats with no shade last weekend, battling it out for the biggest and best barramundi.
Secret Women’s Business (SWB) Barra Challenge is Australia’s only all-women’s fishing competition and takes place at Corroboree Billabong outside Darwin each year.
Now in its 17th year, women travel from all over the country for the event, with the waiting list to get a place in the competition several hundred long.
Faye Rohweder travelled from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland for the weekend competition, but it was not just the NT’s famed barramundi that drew her in.
“There seems to be more camaraderie and friendship amongst female fishers up in the NT. They help each other out,” she said.
“In Queensland you’ll see a few female fishers, but [they’re] generally with male fishers.”
Event organiser Kristen Noble says the competition fosters a supportive environment, increasing women’s participation in a traditionally male dominated domain.
“In previous years, if you were a female angler, you’d only get attention if you were in a bikini,” she said.
“I am absolutely not a bra burner in any way, shape of form, but I do think gender parity is important in all areas.”
Fishing’s cultural shift
Rocky Edwards learnt to fish 20 years ago at an all-women’s fishing competition at Corroboree Billabong.
She said she was hooked from day one when she caught six fish in her first outing.
“I couldn’t fish, I couldn’t boat, but there was an opportunity to go out with male skippers who would teach you to fish and how to use a boat,” Ms Edwards said.
Over the past 20 years, Ms Edwards said she had witnessed a cultural shift, with more families, women, couples and even babies at the boat ramp.
“It’s not a common thing just to see man after man after man launching boats anymore. I think that man’s best kept secret isn’t a secret anymore,” she said.
“There’s now more women out there coaching and mentoring other women, and particularly a lot of younger women.”
Ms Edwards now works in a tackle store and says from that vantage point it is clear that women’s participation in fishing and hunting has become normalised across the Northern Territory.
“I see women walk through in their business clothes and stilettos with their gun bags and their fishing rods,” she said.
“We have ladies’ nights and we have to shut the door because there’s a hundred women banging the door down.”
Not for the faint hearted
Dozens of boats were scattered across a 50-kilometre stretch of billabong at SWB’s Barra Challenge, where fishing conditions were challenging.
Ms Noble said the women were as hardcore as they looked, patiently fishing from 6am to 4pm each day, many without shade, some decked out from head to toe in protective sun gear.
“It is hot out here, we are in the build-up, it’s hard, it’s long days, the billabong’s not forgiving,” she said on the weekend.
But by early afternoon, alcoholic slushies were flowing, and the mood shifted, separating the serious competitors from those who were out for a raucous good time.
While some women stoically remain focused on the barramundi, others started pumping music and a party that continued long into the night began.
“It’s pretty empowering to see all the women managing the boat ramp, backing trailers, and to see the teamwork between the women, the friendships and the memories,” Ms Rohweder said.