Project Kingfish goes on voyage of discovery Down Under

A project to satellite-track the movement of mature-sized yellowtail kingfish across eastern Australia has got underway.

Fishing World – the country’s largest fishing media outlet – reports that Project Kingfish is a science initiative led by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science in collaboration with other bodies. It receives funding from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust.

The ambitious project will fill current knowledge gaps about the regional movement of the species, habitat use and connectivity to gain insights into where the east Australian stock are spawning. The research team will be partnering with experienced anglers over the next two years to find, catch and tag suitable fish in various locations off the NSW coast as well as offshore seamount/islands and other sites of relevance to the stock.

The first satellite tag was recently deployed on a 125cm kingfish in the waters off Norfolk Island by Project Kingfish collaborator Dr Thomas Clarke (pictured above left), and experienced local angler Scott Greenwood (above right).

The data generated is expected to improve current understanding of the stock. Once more fish have been tagged, the information should enable the team to explore patterns of kingfish connectivity between coastal/offshore waters and other states and seasonality in regional movements as well as identifying potential spawning sites.

Story and picture: Fishing World