'Safeguarding Stingrays' is a Victorian Coastal Awards 2018 Finalist We are delighted to share that 'Safeguarding Stingrays: making planning and management work' - the collaboration between Project Banjo, Victorian Fisheries Authority, FutureFish, Boating Industry Association Victoria and Fishcare - is a finalist in the Planning and Management category of the 2018 Victorian Coastal Awards. This honour is a testament to the many hours of hard work that have gone in at management level across volunteer bodies, government bodies and key associations to achieve a higher level of protection for stingrays throughout Victoria, Australia, leading by example for other states and countries to follow. This honour is also a credit to every individual who has played any role large or small in supporting the Project Banjo #RaysAwareness campaign. This includes the 33,000 individuals who signed the 'Stop the Senseless Slaughter or Rays' petition launched in May 2017. It also includes every individual who played an enormous number of other roles of various sizes throughout this campaign - documenting the problem, reporting offences, making signs, writing articles, letters and notes of encouragement, financially supporting the petition, designing logos and signage, showing up to events, providing advice, offering admin assistance, educating the community about this issue and much more. Thank you so much for your support of the beautiful rays of Victoria. We could not have achieved what we did without your contribution and input. We are finally beginning to see fewer dead rays and more live ones swimming through their natural habitat as nature intended. Project Banjo would specifically like to highlight the leadership and contribution of VFA Executive Director Travis Dowling, VFA Director of Fisheries Policy, Management, Science and Licensing Dallas D'Silva and VFA Principal Policy Analyst Dr Jo Klemke for their outstanding efforts of management and leadership in coordinating VFA's response to Project Banjo's campaign. It seems rare that an advocacy group and a government body can work together so productively towards outstanding outcomes. It is largely to the credit of these three individuals that this process has been so successful in working alongside the Project Banjo committee and with the recreational fishing community to address and resolve these issues. The tireless contributions of Project Banjo Committee members Jacqui Younger and Sam Gummer also deserve special mention. We are also deeply grateful for the support of the Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Jaala Pulford and for her representation of this issue in Parliament. We also thank the Victorian Coastal Council for acknowledging both the significance of this issue and the work that has gone into producing regulatory change to ensure greater protection for these amazing animals. This one is for every beautiful ray that will have a greater opportunity to live its life and perform its role in the marine ecosystem with reduced threat of needless slaughter. Please continue to follow our efforts to safeguard these animals and to educate the broader community about the joy and value of rays via the Rays Awareness Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Rays-Awareness-168992960290905/ #RaysAwareness Kind regards, PT Hirschfield Founder of Project Banjo