We are delighted to announce the Snapper Guardians event will go ahead again this year at Woodman Point in Cockburn Sound on Saturday, 8 February.
It’s an open event for the community to come down and help us release around 5,000 juvenile snapper into Cockburn Sound, highlighting the importance of this fantastic species and celebrating the great fishing experiences it provides.
The fish were hatched and reared at the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) Fremantle aquaculture facility, from eggs collected in the Sound from pinkie spawning schools earlier in the summer.
Making it from egg to juvenile is a hazardous journey for pink snapper in the wild, with so many factors working against the fish surviving.
So, collecting and rearing the juveniles in a protected environment is something that significantly improves the chances of the snapper making it through to adulthood.
CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FROM SNAPPER GUARDIANS 2017 SHOWING HOW THE EGGS ARE COLLECTED FROM THE SOUND
A proudly community-owned event
From the get-go, when this initiative was launched in response to the 2015 fish kill, which saw pink snapper dying in the Sound in alarming numbers, it tapped right into the community’s passion and care for this awesome species and metro fishery.
The response to the crowd-funding appeal to launch the first Snapper Guardians in 2015 was rapid and overwhelming, as was the turn-out by recfishers, their families and even some non-recfishers to release the baby snapper into the Sound.
The community have effectively made the event their own and it is a true privilege for us to be able to help make the event happen in partnership with the DPIRD aquaculture guys.
The event sends a powerful message of how invested the community is in wanting to make sure Cockburn Sound continues to support the largest known spawning schools of pink snapper in the West Coast Bioregion – which spans from north of Kalbarri to Augusta.
Seeing these pinkies make their way into the Sound is an awesome experience and something special to share with your kids.
The event kicks off at 10 am on Saturday, 8 February at Jervoise Bay, Woodman Point.
All you need to join in is your family, camera, hat, sunscreen and a snorkel for those who want to get in the water.
We’d love for you to share with us your pics on the day.
Simply take a pic, upload it to Facebook or Twitter, tag in @recfishwest or hashtag #Snapperguardians #Recfishwest.
We look forward to seeing you down there!
Important: Parents and carers are responsible for and must remain with their children at all times.
Recfishwest thanks Australian natural gas company Santos for becoming Supporting Partners of the 2020 Snapper Guardians Program. It’s fantastic to see support for this great initiative and helps us and the community get more snapper in the water.
Recfishwest would also like to thank Shimano Australia for their continuing support of Recfishwest Community Events in 2020.
