Research Volunteers - Research Angler Program
Get involved in Fisheries research – join the Research Angler Program!
Volunteers make an essential contribution to research at the Department of Fisheries and assist in a diverse range of scientific projects. Fisheries scientists are always looking for help from new volunteers. When you undertake any type of research volunteer work with the Department, you automatically become a member of the Research Angler Program (RAP). You don't need any scientific training to participate – just a passion for fish!
Why do we need Research Anglers?
Western Australia has a huge coastline and inland waterway system. The logistics of studying aquatic life and habitats over such a vast area can be challenging. The scientists at the Department of Fisheries need help from recreational anglers and local communities around the State to collect enough data.
The information provided by Research Anglers helps scientists understand our marine and aquatic life – trends and fluctuations in the abundance of species, their health, size, rates of growth, age of maturity and many other factors that can help establish whether species or habitats are under pressure and whether current management arrangements are adequate.
You can find out more information on the Research Angler Program by downloading the Research Volunteers - Research Angler Program brochure here.
Research angler projects are varied in their scope and location. For example, volunteers have recently been involved in a marron survey project at Margaret River to help gather data that will assist in the conservation of the "hairy" marron species.
Here are some current Fisheries research projects and how to get involved in them.
Anglers Log books
Anglers are supplied with log books and asked to record the details - species, number, length and health - of their catches. Log books help to monitor disease outbreaks, fish diversity and the presence of exotic or rare species - all useful indicators of environmental conditions. The information helps give a picture of the health of the fishery and is available to scientists working on different projects.
Participants are advised of research progress through a regular newsletter. You can choose to keep a log book for ocean, estuary or freshwater fishing activities, and this program is always looking for new Research Anglers. For more information about log books see Recreational Angler Log Books - Information for anglers or contact Mike Hammond, telephone (08) 9203 0111 .
Your can join the Angler's Log Book Program by downloading the registration form.
Collecting Biological Samples
Anglers can help Fisheries Research simply by donating the leftovers after they've filleted their fish. The skeletons, also known as “frames”, give researchers many clues about the age, growth rate, reproductive activity and other vital information about the fish. To collect enough data about each fish population, researchers need lots of fish frames.
Researchers will measure each frame and then extract otoliths (ear bones) that reveal the fish's age through growth rings, and gonads (reproductive organs) that show the stage of the fish's breeding cycle. When filleting your fish, make sure you leave the head, tail and guts attached so that researchers can measure the fish's length and can then extract the otoliths and gonads. The frames can be frozen without affecting their usefulness for research, so you can collect a few before dropping them off.
Using information from fish frames, researchers can build a picture of the population of each species and help better manage our fisheries. If you donate frames to fisheries research, you have a chance to win fishing tackle and other prizes. Researchers will also send you a research newsletter outlining what they have learnt from your frame(s).
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| Dhufish frame, gut still intact, scientists have already removed the gonad (ripe ovary) from this fish. |
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| Fish anatomy |
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| Sea garfish - gut contents before dissection |
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| Sea garfish - gut contents after dissection |
Different species are studied at different times, and there are drop-off points at various places around the State. You can find out which species of fish frames scientists need right now.
Want to know how you can age a fish?
Fish tagging
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| Scientists teaching anglers to tag |
At various times, scientists tag and release fish to better understand their population structure, movement, growth and mortality. Volunteers are often needed to assist with tagging or to report recaptures of tagged fish. In recent years, scientists have tagged finfish, sharks and invertebrates. Many projects offer rewards for the return of tags or tagging information. Find out which species have been tagged by scientists recently.
If you catch a tagged fish, please record the date, location, tag number, length of fish (from tip to tail), and whether you kept or release it. If you kept the fish, give the tag and other information to your local Fisheries office.
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| Tagging Sambo's off Rottnest (Feb 2005) |
Grey nurse shark study
Scientists at the Department's Shark Section are conducting a study of the protected grey nurse shark and want to hear from people who have seen this species lately. They want to identify sites where the sharks gather so monitoring programs can be developed. Once the sites are identified shark researchers can set up observation programs and conduct further research into their ecology.
Scientists have also tagged 2,000 thichskin (sandbar) sharks to study movements, growth and population structure. If you catch a tagged shark please record the tag number, date caught, location and fork length (straight line from snout to fork in tail).
More information on sharks is available here or contact Rory McAuley or Justin Chidlow on (08) 9203 0111.
Fish observer studies
Belong to a scuba diving club? Why not keep a record of the fish you see on each dive and share this information with scientists? Over time this data provides an insight in to local trends in fish abundance and diversity. This type of information can be especially useful to monitor the status of fish species that are not normally caught by commercial or recreational fishers. Contact Dr Kim Smith for more information, telephone (08) 9203 0111.
Fishing club historic records survey
The catch records compiled by fishing clubs can be a “goldmine” of information, allowing researchers to document the history of local fish populations. Clubs are invited to loan their catch records to the Research Angler Program. Researchers will enter these records into the RAP electronic database and then return the original data to the club, along with electronic and hard copy summaries of the data.
Angling tournaments
An angling tournament provides a unique opportunity to conduct a local survey of fish stocks and also obtain numerous biological samples. Why not invite scientists to your next event?
Tournament organisers can assist researchers by including RAP catch cards in each tournament registration pack, for competitors to complete. After the tournament, RAP will send the club a summary of the catch card data.
Here is an example of a tournament catch card.
Contact Dr Kim Smith or Mike Hammond, telephone (08) 9203 0111 for more information.
Fish reproduction studies
Looking for a 12-month project that is a little unusual? Then select your favourite fish species and give the Angler's Gonad Guide a go. This guide is available from the Department of Fisheries on request.
It is surprising how little we know about the reproductive biology of many popular fish species. Scientists need to know when and where each species spawns so that the breeding stocks can be protected. Investigating this can be complicated because many species breed at slightly different times in different regions - this means that scientists need lots of samples collected from lots of different places. Research Anglers can help by keeping a record (and maybe some photos) of the size, shape and colour of gonads (i.e. reproductive organs – ovaries & testes) in local fish caught over a 12-month cycle.
Contact Dr Kim Smith or Dr Mike Mackie telephone (08) 9203 0111 for more information.
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