Snapper Guardians is back!
This cherished community-driven fish stocking event will return to Jervoise Bay Dog Beach at Woodman Point, Cockburn Sound on Saturday, 7 February.
It’s an open event for the community to come down and roll up their sleeves to help us release thousands of juvenile pink snapper into Cockburn Sound, highlighting the importance of this fantastic species and celebrating the great fishing experiences it provides.
WHEN: Saturday, 7 February. Release will start around 10AM, but we recommend arriving by 9:30AM.
WHERE: Jervoise Bay Dog Beach, Woodman Point, Cockburn Sound
BRING: Bathers, towel, hat, sunscreen, snorkel and your cameras!
The fish, roughly 5-7cm in length, were hatched and reared at DPIRD’s Fremantle aquaculture facility, from eggs collected on the water’s surface in Cockburn Sound from pinkie spawning schools earlier in the summer.
There will be 5,000 juvenile snapper available to release at the event as part of a total of 60,000 being released by DPIRD as part of the Government’s West Coast Demersal Recovery package.
Making it from egg to juvenile is a hazardous journey for pink snapper in the wild. By collecting and rearing the juveniles in a protected environment, it significantly improves the chances of the snapper making it through to adulthood once they are released.
Proudly a community-owned event
This initiative was launched in response to the 2015 pink snapper fish kill, which saw pink snapper dying in the Sound in alarming numbers.
“Snapper Guardians 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 between Kalbarri and Augusta,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“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. We were very proud to see more than 1,000 mums, dads and kids lining up last year to release a bucket of juvenile pinkies and this event continues to grow each year.”
Seeing these pinkies make their way into the Sound is an awesome experience and something special to share with your kids. Make sure you’re there early to grab a parking spot and not miss out on any fish!
