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Targets for 2019-20
1. Tag 20,000 fish
2. Record 1,500 recaptures
3. Registered taggers in range of 400-500
4. Upgrade database
5. Provide data to researchers and others
Impact of COVID-19
Hardly a highlight but COVID-19 has impacted on all aspects of society and fishing has been no
exception. Q3 results have been significantly impacted. Towards the end of Q3 boat ramps are
being closed or use severely restricted so that will have a significant impact on fishing activities
including tagging in Q4. What the impact of that will be in the longer term is largely unknown.
World Record for Australian Bass
The undoubted highlight for Q3 was achieving the world record for the longest time out for a
freshwater fish tagged with an external tag. The fish was a Bass tagged in Reynolds Creek on
29/1/1994 and recaptured on 9/2/2020 in Tingalpa Creek having moved 190km. It was out for
9,507 days or just over 26 years. It was just 18 days short of the overall record held by a
Southern Bluefin Tuna. The Bass grew very slowly from 26 to 39cm or just half a cm a year.
Highlights
Other highlights for quarter 3 at 31 March 2020 were:
• Database upgrade has been put on hold as we deal with the fallout of COVID-19
• 311 tag grid maps now available in Google Earth on a catchment or regional basis
• Mangrove Jack W71300 recaptured 12 times in 1.05 years from Mar 2019 – Mar 2020