Botany Bay fishing challenge makes a splash this weekend
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Hundreds of anglers are expected to take part in an ambitious research project in Botany Bay this weekend, NSW Fisheries announced today.
The Botany Bay Catch and Release Research Challenge will link science and angling in a massive recreational fishing study to estimate the survival rates of fish who are caught and then released.
The study will help the NSW Government learn more about the overall impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks.
The Challenge this weekend, the 14th and 15th February, will be the first in a series of experiments to assess release survival rates.
The $430,000, two-year project will be jointly funded by the Recreational Saltwater Trust ($299,000) and NSW Fisheries.
The research is part of the NSW Government's on-going efforts to ensure the recreational fishing industry is sustainable because it is so vital to the economic future of many NSW communities.
Recreational anglers inject millions of dollars into rural and regional NSW and the industry helps to support valuable tourism industries.
Anglers taking part in the Challenge this weekend will give their catch to NSW Fisheries scientists, who will assess any trauma that may have occurred during hooking and handling.
Fish will be classified by the various methods of capture, such as bait versus lure and long shanked hooks versus circle hooks.
The number of boats taking part in the event will be limited so that proper scientific protocols can be maintained, and anglers fishing from these boats will be members of invited fishing clubs and organisations.
Marshal's boats are being organised to collect fish, and anglers will summon a marshal vessel to collect fish by raising a flag on a pole. Radio and mobile telephone communication will also be used if necessary.
The fish collected will be released into specially designed large holding pens. They will be monitored for one week, samples will be taken to test for stress levels, and then all fish will be released back into Botany Bay.