Media Release:- Fascinating footage highlights benefits of Release Weight.

Recfishwest today launched the Release Weight DVD and information brochure to promote best practice for releasing demersal scalefish.

"The DVD includes some fascinating above and underwater footage of the Release Weight in action, showing fish clearly suffering the effects of barotrauma swimming off strongly with the aid of the release weight." Acting Executive Director of Recfishwest, Kane Moyle said today.

Recent changes to managing the recreational catch of demersal scalefish in the West Coast bioregion coupled with a changing ethos to catch and release fishing is seeing recreational fishers releasing more and more fish.

"It is extremely important that every fish released is correctly handled and it has been proven that the use of a Release Weight will significantly increase a fish's chance of surviving the capture." Mr Moyle said.

The importance of the Release Weight as an effective means for releasing demersal reef species has been shown through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Murdoch University, Department of Fisheries and ANSA project, Maximising the survival of released undersize West Coast Reef Fish. The tag recapture data from this study found the Release Weight to be by far and away the superior method of releasing dhufish. Recaptures were 10.1% for fish release using a Release Weight whereas simple release recaptures were 6.3%.

"Recreational fishers are valuing more and more every fish they catch, a fish released in a healthy condition is one that can spawn and have the opportunity to be caught again later." Mr Moyle said.

Copies of the DVD and brochure will be distributed to tackle stores around Western Australia. A copy of the DVD will be provided free with every Release Weight purchased while stocks are available.

Recfishwest urges all recreational fishers to view this interesting and highly informative DVD. The DVD can be downloaded from http://www.recfishwest.org.au/ReleaseWeightDVD.htm

This project was made possible thanks to funding received through the Australian Government's Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme.

ENDS

Media Contact
Kane Moyle - Acting Executive Director Recfishwest
ph. (08) 9246 3366 Mob. 0419 949 118
10 July 2008

Website links about releasing fish and survival

     

The contents of the DVD:- "Using the Release Weight to improve the survival of released fish" can be viewed directly or downloaded and saved to view later from Recfishwest's Release Weight DVD page

Collaborative tagging program and research - more about the West Coast research results mentioned in the video.

About the Release Weight and how to use it

Brochure on the Release Weight formatted for printing on two A4 pages (217 kilobyte PDF file)

Info-fish website Released fish survival - Gently does it (link opens in a new window)



FRDC "Gently does it" media release (link opens in a new window)

National Strategy for the Survival of Released Line Caught Fish (1.1 Megabyte PDF file - link opens in a new window)



This page last updated on 10 July 2008.