Glen from Beldon in Perth is this year’s major prize-winner of our Send Us Your Skeletons program.
The program encourages recreational fishers to donate their fish frames (filleted skeletons with the heads and guts intact) to help our scientists with vital research into some of WA’s most prized fish stocks.
As a thank-you for taking part, all fishers who ‘send us their skeletons’ are entered into a prize draw. Along with other prize donors, charter fishing operators Montebello Island Safaris have provided their generous support by donating a dream fishing trip prize for the last three years.
Little did 33-year-old electrician Glen know as he pulled in a dhufish when fishing with his dad, Graham, and a mate off Ocean Reef in Perth, that the fish would win him a trip for two to the magical Montes.
“I’ve fished since I was a four-year-old and we’d been meaning to donate some fish frames to give something back and to help ensure there’s fish for the future,” said Glen, a member of the Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club.
“It was only when we handed the frames in at Hillarys that we found out we could actually win prizes as well, he said. “I’m stoked to win it as we were just talking about making a trip to the Montes the other day. I’m going to take my dad, who Perth rec fishers call ‘Bandit’ on account of him having only one arm and being a bit of a character. He’ll be delighted too!”
Montebello Island Safaris also donated the star prize for this financial year’s (2012/13) major prize draw. Fishers who donate their fish frames for certain species in the West Coast and South Coast Bioregions before the end of June 2013 will go into the main prize draw as well as quarterly draws for other fishing prizes.
Department of Fisheries Executive Director of Research Dr Rick Fletcher described the contributions of the recreational fishing community and the recreational fishing industry as “excellent.”
“This year, around 500 recreational fishers have donated more than 7,000 fish frames which will give us a very strong foundation to make a reliable assessment of these fish resources. This in turn will provide us with the necessary information to sustainably manage the stock,” said Dr Fletcher.
“However,” he added, “We always need more frames – the research never stops. We thank all our supporters in the recreational fishing industry for their prize contributions. Special mention should go to Montebello Island Safaris whose very generous prize contributions for three years now is outstanding. We’d also like to thank Mills Charters, Port Bouvard Charters, BCF Midland, White Salt Restaurant, Bluewater Tackle World, Fishing WA, Pristine Fishing, Shakespeare, UglyStik and RecFishWest