Tag: snapper guardians

Another 50,000 juvenile pink snapper will be released into Cockburn Sound in February 2017 as the remarkable Snapper Guardians project continues its legacy. Continue reading “The 50,000 snapper for Cockburn, a Sound investment” →

Following the success of last year’s Snapper Guardians program, Recfishwest and the Australian Centre for Applied Aquaculture Research (ACAAR) team are at it again having just collected a new batch of Pink Snapper eggs from spawning aggregations in Cockburn Sound. This year’s program looks to raise and release 100, 000 juvenile snapper by the end of summer.
After monitoring the snapper over the past few weeks, the moon phase, weather and spawning aggregations were ideal for attempting an egg collection. With astounding success, the eggs were collected in one night, achieving the desired amount for the project in one attempt. Not only is this great news that the program can be underway early, but also a good suggestion that large numbers of healthy breeding Pink Snapper are abundant.

In the wild, the number of snapper eggs that reach maturity is very low, especially during early egg, larval and juvenile stages when they are particularly vulnerable to predators. By collecting wild eggs and assisting them through these early life stages, the Snapper Guardians program greatly increases the likelihood of these eggs surviving to adulthood. This means more Pink Snapper in our waters and better fishing experiences for Western Australians.

The next stage in the project is growing out the juvenile fish. ACAAR staff will then mark the juvenile snappers’ otoliths (fish ear bones) with a dye so that the stocked fish will be identifiable when caught in the wild. Once the fish have been marked and grown out to a certain size they will be released early next year.

Earlier this year 50,000 juvenile Pink Snapper were released into Cockburn Sound and Warnbro Sound after being nurtured through their most vulnerable larvae and early juvenile stages. ACAAR were responsible for conducting the egg collections and guiding them through their growth stages with their world class aquaculture facilities.

The project is funded by the West Australian Government, who recently committed $300, 000 to fund Snapper Guardians over the next two years.

These are exciting times for West Australian fishers and Recfishwest with ACAAR, is proud to lead this world first program. Snapper Guardians proves that investing in effective fisheries science can have an astounding effect on improving the quality of sustainable fishing for all in the community.

The immensely popular Snapper Guardians project has drawn to a close, culminating in the release of the remaining 5000 juvenile pink snapper at Woodman Point in February, 2016.

WATCH: Pinkies released into the Sound

About 400 people came to down to be a part of this historic event with everyone given the opportunity to release baby snapper back into the waters of Cockburn Sound.

The release was a buzz of excitement which also included the unveiling of Recfishwest’s new fish stocking and transport trailer.

The trailer was paid for out of the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund and will be used to transport both broodstock (adult) and juvenile fish around the state to improve stock enhancement activities.

The trailer was used at the event to siphon about 3000 fish through a clear tube and down the rocks, until the fish were safely released under the water. They showed great signs that they will grow to be a valuable addition to the Cockburn Sound Pink Snapper stock.

The $25,000 required to successfully complete the Snapper Guardian project was achieved within hours of the campaign going live back in December 2015 and with the total of $36,000 being pledged by the WA community, we now see surplus funds available for a similar project later this year.

The proactive work of the community who saw great value in making this project a reality, along with some great corporate sponsors and the innovation of the Fremantle Hatchery, the Snapper Guardians project made headlines around the state and the nation with media outlets giving the project the attention it deserved.

To put the release into perspective, in the wild only about 50 fish from the eggs collected would have survived.

The amount of fish being released in this project would normally come from about 1.5 billion eggs. So as you can see, survival in the wild is extremely low and the innovation at the Fremantle Hatchery to achieve WA’s first ever Pink Snapper release from the egg stage is outstanding and should be commended.

The Snapper Guardian merchandise was a huge hit with the community with hundreds of T-shirts, beanies and stickers being paraded around at the release which gave the people a real sense of ownership of these new Pink Snapper and what it meant for the sustainability of Cockburn Sound.

Recfishwest, who represent the community’s interest on issues like these, will be seeking an ongoing contribution from the state government toward an egg collection program, as an insurance policy until we are confident that the right steps are taken to future proof fish stocks in Cockburn Sound.

The remainder of the snapper grown out in the Fremantle Hatchery were released into Warnbro Sound two weeks prior which and saw over 45,000 fish find new homes in the sea grasses in well known nursery grounds for juvenile fish.

Some of the frequently asked questions we received on the day were:

Would all the eggs that hatched survived in the wild?

No, in the wild survival is extremely low, only approximately 50 fish from the eggs collected would have survived. The amount of fish being released in this project would normally come from about 1.5 billion eggs.

Why were eggs taken from Cockburn Sound only to be put back?

An RFIF project to test egg sampling methods was carried out before the Cockburn Sound fish kills. Coincidently, these eggs hatched and we had the opportunity to grow them to optimize their survival. This project protected the eggs through the most vulnerable stage of their lifecycle.

How will we know if these fish will survive?

They have been stained with a non-toxic coloured dye (you can’t see it). When a fish is captured in years to come and the otolith (ear bone) is removed, we’ll be able to identify these fish and know how successful this project has been.