YOUR fishing licence fees are funding research about snapper movement, feeding and habitat use in Port Phillip Bay.
Scientists are inserting acoustic tags into over 100 snapper – here’s just a few.
The unique sounds frequencies emitted by these special tags mean that each fish can be recognised by ‘listening stations’ up to 400 metres away. More than 50 acoustic fixed site listening stations are tracking these snapper as they move around the Bay and between the Bay and ocean waters. Others are aboard recreational fishing and charter vessels that are mobile.
Information from the tracking program will provide new and interesting insights for anglers on the movement behaviour of snapper over day/night and longer time scales, and potentially the influences of weather, moon and tide conditions.
The research will also look at adult snapper diets to reveal their key food sources and feeding habitats.Scientists are collecting images and video footage of underwater terrain where snapper are commonly detected.
The 100 snapper are specially marked with two yellow dart tags below their dorsal fins to distinguish them from other tagged snapper which often carry only one tag.
If you catch any tagged snapper:
record the tag number
record the location of capture (ideally GPS coordinates)
record the time and date
call the phone number on the tag as soon as possible.
Double tagged snapper in good condition should be released after recording their details.
For further information and to view snapper tagging video please visit – DPI Victoria – Snapper Tracking
