SOME recreational fishers will soon get caught in a new internet survey to test gathering of information by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in an attempt to protect fish stocks in WA.
“Our newest component is a ‘post-enumeration survey’ that will compare response rates and results with data from the phone and log book surveys already carried out,” department senior research scientist Karina Ryan said.
More detailed information about current recreational fishing habits will improve scientists’ understanding of local fishing habits, preferred catches and stocks.
Randomly selected holders of recreational boat fishing licences will receive an email with a link to the survey until mid-December.
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READ NOW“The survey’s results complement the many other fish stock assessments that the department’s researchers undertake and provide another window into the health of our fisheries and aquatic ecosystems,” Dr Ryan said.
Previous surveys of boat fishing have found the most-caught species was blue swimmer crab, while school whiting was the primary fish, followed by pink snapper.
For more information go to www.fish.wa.gov.au.