The grey clouds didn’t dampen the mood or enthusiasm of hundreds of young kids who turned up for the Blue Light Ventures fishing event on Wellington’s Waterfront over the weekend.
This is the 12th year the popular family event has been running, with some participants travelling from as far north as Waikanae to be part of the day.
The premise is simple, every young person comes with their fishing rod (or is given one thanks to some generous sponsors) and they spend a couple of hours fishing for weird and wonderful creatures from the wharf.
While some found that the act of fishing with new friends and whānau made it a worthwhile adventure, those with a competitive streak had their eyes on the numerous prizes up for grabs.
There were lots of smiling faces with spot prizes worth $7000 distributed over the course of the morning and $1000 in cash given away. One lucky family was randomly drawn from the registration list to be taken out on the harbour by the KP Marine boat giving them a greater platform to fish from.
Sergeant Erin Hurley and
Constable Phil Starr.
The Police Dive Squad made quite a few kids squirm with delight by diving under the wharf and putting little laminated yellow fish on random fishing lines underneath the wharf. These yellow fish were worth $40 in cash thanks to the awesome sponsorship of National Storage.
Kids also received spot prizes for their unique finds and the size of the fish they caught. Fisheries staff were on hand to measure the fish and ensure it was within the mandated guidelines.
There was a variety of fish caught, with a 30cm gurnard clearly being the prettiest fish of the day. The largest fish caught was a 36cm kahawai, while 23cms was the largest size recorded for both tarakihi and snapper. The event concluded with a prize giving event where free fishing gear was given away.
A free sausage sizzle was going all day and with extra tomato sauce, it was a yummy treat for some hard-working fishing enthusiasts.
While most of the crowd activity was on the waterfront, the Maritime Unit staff kept the water safe and luckily weren’t required to ‘fish’ out any people. The event was supported by Police Blue Light staff, sponsors National Storage and K P Marine, and several volunteers from the Rock Church.
Senior Sergeant Andrew Melville says, “We’re incredibly lucky on the day that the weather played its part. The event wouldn’t be possible without the wider group of volunteers and sponsors, most of whom fit their involvement around their respective day jobs, so we really want to thank all these people.
"Most of the preparation took place in the months leading up to the event so staff present could enjoy the activities and atmosphere on the day.”
Andrew says planning is already under way for a bigger and better event in 2022.
About Blue Light
Blue Light aims to reduce the likelihood of young people becoming an offender or the victim of crime by building a positive relationship between Police, young people, their parents, and the wider community.
Blue Light events encourage healthy and safe socialisation for young people with all Blue Light events being alcohol, drug, and violence free. In society today who else can guarantee this, which is why parents and the community trust and support Blue Light activities for their children.
Watch videos from the event here: