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Government of Western Australia - Department of Fisheries

Send us your skeletons

You can play a key part in WA fisheries science by donating your fish skeletons to help with our long-term monitoring program of fish stocks and ensure the recovery of our key fish species, like WA dhufish and herring.

The skeleton contains key biological information, such as length, age and sex, that we can use to make science-based decisions to sustainably manage our fisheries.​​

To find out the latest on what is happening with the 'Send Us Your Skeletons' program and how your data contributes to science, see the Research Angler Program Newsletter or sign up to Catch!

More information on how finfish stocks are assessed is available on this website.   

Donate your frames and you could be in the running to win quarterly prizes such as a superb Daiwa Jigging Game rod, reel and braid combo or Crewsaver lifejackets donated by Recfishwest, WA's peak recfishing body.

How to donate:

  • Please donate the whole filleted skeleton (frame with the head and guts intact) if you can.
  • For large fish like WA dhufish you can donate just the head.
  • Frames can be fresh or frozen.

Label frames with:

  • your name, phone number and email address (so we can send you research feedback and put your name in prize draws);
  • the date of your capture; and
  • the location of your capture (for boat catches, the latitude/longitude or distance and bearing from port and the name of the port, for example 3nm west of Hillarys; for shore catches, the general location).

Information you provide about the location of your catch is confidential.

You can drop off your fish frames at our offices and participating stores.

We need frames for the following species from the areas in the map below.

illustration map of west coast and south coast bioregion 

Demersal species

We are currently monitoring the recovery of these demersal species: West Australian dhufish, snapper, baldchin groper and Breaksea cod. We need to know if significant management changes put in place a few years ago are helping stocks to recover.

 

West Coast Bioregion​

​South Coast Bioregion

illustration of a ​West Australian dhufish 
 

P

X

 ​illustration of a baldchin ​​​​groper​

P

X

 ​​Pink snapper

illustration of a Pink snapper​ 

P

​X

Breaksea cod

P

P

Nearshore species - West Coast and South Coast Bioregions

In the West and South Coast Bioregions, we are monitoring Southern Sea Garfish. 

We accept donations of garfish skeleton/frames, however, it is important to note that fishing for Southern Sea Garfish in the metropolitan region is closed until further notice – from Myalup to Lancelin. 

To send us garfish frames, label your donation with your name, number and email address, date and location of capture, place in a plastic bag and freeze.  

Visit our drop-off page for your nearest drop-off location.​

Southern Sea Garfish​

Southern sea garfish.png

Illustration: R. Swainston/www.anima.net.au

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Last modified: 2/08/2022 12:49 PM

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The information and advice provided by the Department of Fisheries website is made in good faith and is from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of release onto the website. Changes in circumstances after a document is placed on the website may affect the accuracy of the information. Full disclaimer details are available at www.fish.wa.gov.au.