Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club Inc.

21/04/2026

Our waterways are vital to our Country, culture, and community. Carp breeding at this scale shows why caring for and protecting our rivers matters more than ever.”

08/04/2026

🌿🐛 Burnanga Bug Monitoring Field Training – Get Involved!🐛🌿

Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club invites community members to join us for a hands-on Macroinvertebrate (Water Bug) Monitoring Activity on the beautiful Goulburn River in Shepparton.

Come and learn how we care for Country through water monitoring, while gaining real skills in identifying river bugs and understanding water quality.

✨ What you’ll learn:
• Identifying water bugs (including shrimp)
• Water quality testing techniques
• Understanding river health and environmental flows
• Cultural connection to waterways and caring for Country

📍 Location: Off Jordans Place, Shepparton (river access near boat ramp track)
📅 Date: Tuesday 14th April
⏰ Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

👩🏽‍🦱 Ages:12 years and older
🍴 Light lunch and refreshments provided
🚗 Need transport? Contact us – we’re happy to support

🧢 What to bring:
• Long pants & long-sleeve top
• Hat
• Sturdy boots
• Water bottle

💜 Why it matters:
Water bugs are strong indicators of river health. By learning to monitor them, we strengthen our role as caretakers of Country and protect our waterways for future generations.

👉 Spots are limited! Send us a message to register your interest.

24/02/2026

🌊 Ancient Waters, Living Knowledge 🌍

What an absolute honour to present at the WRFC Conference — sharing our story of water, culture and connection to Country on a truly global stage.

This year marked a significant milestone. The WRFC has been running from 1996 to 2026, bringing together leaders in recreational fishing from across the world — and for the first time ever, it was held in Africa.

The conference welcomed 180 delegates from 28 countries, creating powerful conversations about sustainability, cultural knowledge, environmental water and the future of recreational fishing worldwide.

Over the years the WRFC has been hosted in:
• Australia
• Europe
• Canada
• Norway
• USA
• Brazil
And now Africa — making history.

In South Africa, recreational fishing currently receives low recognition — yet the opportunities for economic development are significant. With 139 freshwater species and over 2,000 coastal species, the potential for growth, tourism, employment and environmental stewardship is enormous.

Beyond the formal presentations, the greatest gift was the connections. The friendships formed with passionate people from around the world, the shared learning, and reconnecting with our colleagues from the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation reminded us that while our waters may be different, our responsibility is shared.

“Ancient Waters, Living Knowledge” carries the message that our rivers are not just resources — they are ancestors, teachers and living systems that require care, respect and cultural leadership.

A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors who supported this journey:
💙 Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative
💙 Oxfam Australia
💙 Goulburn Valley Water
💙 Yurrigal Energy

And a very special acknowledgement to the incredible people working behind the scenes. Our sista girl Rachael Stewart — thank you for what you do. Your support, strength and quiet leadership never go unnoticed. It truly takes a village.

Because when we speak for water, we speak for our ancestors — and for the generations still to come.

18/02/2026

18/02/2026

🎣🌞 WHAT A DEADLY DAY ON COUNTRY! 🌞🎣

On Saturday the weather turned it on for us — beautiful sunshine in the morning and a real scorcher by the afternoon! 🔥🌊 But that didn’t stop our community from coming together for day of fishing, culture and connection.

There were a few great catches across the day, and some deadly prizes went out to those who participated and landed a fish 🎣👏🏽 The lure activity was a huge hit too — with some lucky winners walking away with prizes!

A big thank you to Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation for the use of the Kingfisher, and to Ralf Hume for leading a guided river cruise. 🌊 It was special to see our community and Elders out on the water together, connecting to Country in such a meaningful way.

We were honoured to have esteemed Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Col Walker provide a heartfelt Welcome, grounding us in culture and reminding us why we do this work.

Burnanga President Corey Walker also welcomed everyone and shared some exciting news — that he and a delegation will be travelling to the 11th World Recreational Fishing Conference in South Africa to present on “Ancient Waters, Living Knowledge” — showcasing the work we are leading here on Yorta Yorta Country. 🌍🔥
From our rivers here at home to the world stage — we carry our community with us. Keep an eye out for our stories on this page

A huge thank you to:

🤝 Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation
💧 Goulburn Valley Water
🌿 Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
🎣 Victorian Fisheries Authority
🌊 Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

The snags were good, there was plenty of food and drink, cups of tea and biscuits flowing, and lots of yarning with Elders — which is always the best part. ☕🍪

We were also proud to capture powerful stories through our River Voices filming, where community and Elders shared their experiences and spoke about the importance of environmental water and caring for Country.

A big thank you to the entire Burnanga team — your hard work behind the scenes makes these days possible. 💙

This is what Burnanga is about:
Caring for Country. Strengthening culture. Connecting community through fishing.

We look forward to more deadly events and activities throughout the year — stay tuned! 🎣🌿 🔥

13/02/2026

🌿🐢 **Young Leaders on Country 🐢🌿

What a powerful day for Burnanga.

Before the sun was up, our young men stepped up. 5am wake-up calls, muddy boots, and a full day on Country — and not one complaint. We are incredibly proud of the way they showed up, represented community, and committed to the work.

This turtle monitoring project, delivered in partnership with the Arthur Rylah Institute, is a continuation of the conservation and environmental water activities our young men have been participating in through Burnanga.

Environmental water plays a critical role in keeping our rivers, wetlands, and lagoons healthy — supporting turtles, fish, frogs, and the entire ecosystem. Through this work, our young men are not only learning science — they are understanding why water management matters for culture, biodiversity, and future generations.

Led once again by 🎣 Wandjarra Lovett — one of Burnanga’s brightest young anglers and an emerging leader — the boys:

• Surveyed lagoons and rivers
• Pulled nets and assisted with turtle monitoring
• Supported acoustic tagging of Broad-shelled Turtles
• Learned about frog call monitoring and ecosystem health

They learnt heaps. They asked questions. They got hands-on. They built knowledge and confidence.

Burnanga isn’t just about fishing.
It’s about caring for Country.
It’s about understanding environmental water.
It’s about building strong Yorta Yorta young men who know their responsibility to land and waterways.

Today they proved they’re ready.

We are so proud of every single one of them. 🖤💛❤️

03/02/2026

🌊WHERE CULTURE MEETS THE RIVER🌊
Hosted by Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club

📍 Barmah Lakes Visiting Area (Moira Lakes Rd)
📅 Saturday 14 February 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 3:30pm

Join us on Yorta Yorta Country for a deadly day of fishing, yarning and cultural learning💙

✨ Program highlights include:
🎣 Fishing Competition
🗣️ Stories of Country – Yarning Circle
🛶 Kingfisher Boat Ride
🚶🏽 Guided Cultural Walk
🎯 Lure Program
🔥 Free BBQ

🎣 Bait & tackle provided
🎣 BYO Rods - Limited rods available to borrow

⚠️ Registration is essential
👉 Places are limited for safety and catering
👉 Scan the QR code on the flyer to register or click on this link https://forms.gle/5y1uCnNiUTRdUtq96

This event is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and forms part of a Burnanga cultural monitoring project on Yorta Yorta Country.

Come along, bring family, connect to Country, share stories, and enjoy a beautiful day by the river 🌿

📩 For enquiries, message Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club or email [email protected]

01/12/2025

🎣 Meet Wandjarra Lovett – one of Burnanga’s brightest young anglers and a future leader of our club! 🌿💙

Burnanga isn’t just about fishing – it’s a place where Yorta Yorta youth connect with culture, care for Country, and grow their skills. Wandjarra is already showing us what it means to lead with passion, respect, and vision for the next generation.

💪 From habitat restoration to fishing adventures, our young members like Wandjarra are the heartbeat of Burnanga and the future of our rivers.

19/11/2025

🔥🐟 BURNANGA COMMUNITY – WE NEED YOU! 🐟🔥

Zombie Fish Release – Dunyak Moira

Yesterday our mob joined Goulburn Broken CMA and partners for an exciting and deadly morning out on Country, helping bring back one of our rare native fish species – the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon, also known as the Zombie Fish!

🐟 Kids, youth and community members from Burnanga proudly helped return these little warriors back to the water, along with endangered Southern Pygmy Perch, giving them a new home where they can grow, survive and one day make their way into our local rivers again.

🐟 These fish came from SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and Bendigo, and were released into Dunyak Moira where they’ll be protected and cared for.

🐟 This activity is part of a bigger native fish recovery project led by Goulburn Broken CMA with partners across the region – working together to protect threatened species, restore our waterways and support cultural knowledge on Country.

We’re proud to be a part of this healing work for our rivers, our fish and our future generations.

Big thanks to:
Goulburn Broken CMA • North Central CMA • RiverConnect • Goulburn Valley Water • SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium • Merrigum Primary School • Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club Community

13/05/2025

04/04/2025