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Recfishwest

Fisheries Minister joins Recfishwest to release 5,000 more juvenile kingies

WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch has rolled up his sleeves to help Recfishwest release another 5,000 juvenile yellowtail kingfish into the State’s metropolitan waters.

As part of the ongoing metro yellowtail kingfish stocking program, Minister Punch helped release the fish at Cockburn Power Boats Club on May 13.

May’s release saw the total amount of fish

Gideon Mettam with a typical WA kingfish.

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For more information on these and other new releases from Daiwa, visit www.daiwafishing. com.au. – FMG released through the project reach 30,000.

A three-year commitment to stocking kingfish, pink snapper and barramundi is all part of the WA Government’s COVID-19 fishing package announced by Premier Mark McGowan last August.

Recfishwest is proud to help drive new initiatives like this that can potentially open up more diverse fishing opportunities for the State’s metropolitan fishers.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this stocking program impacts on the metro kingie fishery in the next couple of years,” Dr Rowland said.

“Just like the snapper stocking program, all the juvenile kingfish reared for these releases by the DPIRD aquaculture team have their otoliths stained allowing fish from the stocking program to be identified when caught and analysed in the future.

“This is new territory in the coming years, please consider donating the filleted frames to the terrific Send Us Your Skeletons program run by DPIRD and help build a better understanding of the success of these stock enhancement activities,” he said.

“In the meantime, we’ll keep cranking the handle to get more fish in the water and help protect and enhance your fishing future.”

Minister Punch added:

“I am sure recfishers

Juveniles being released as part of the metro yellowtail kingfish stocking program.

WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch and Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland releasing juvenile yellowtail kingfish.

With international travel restrictions in place for the foreseeable future and the challenges of a COVID world, Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said fishing was more important than ever for people’s relaxation and well-being and support for local economies. here in WA, which is what makes it so exciting, and there is an important role here for fishers to assist in providing samples to support the science.”

“The fish released today should reach legal size round late-2022,” Dr Rowland said.

“So, if you are keeping metro kingies for the table cannot wait for some of these fish to start showing up in their catch in the next few years,” he said.

“Western Australians love their fishing and the industry supports local jobs while also generating an estimated $2.4 billion a year for our State’s economy.” – Zach Relph