Scientists

I have always been interested in fishing so the prospect of studying fish and working on the water was appealing. I did a lot of fishing, which exposed me to the various conflicts in natural resource management, interaction between levels of government and natural rights. Initially just wanted the fun things seen in films and television shows that are associated with being a marine biologist. This attitude has changed and developed throughout my career and I now see helping the fishers of WA as my main priority. My area of work focuses on the research and monitoring of key recreational and commercial demersal finfish species, such as West Australian dhufish and Snapper. This includes overseeing the day to day operations of the ‘Send Us Your Skeletons’, a long-term monitoring program of fish stocks to ensure the recovery of key fish species by collecting biological information from fish skeletons donated by recreational fishers. As part of my PhD at Edith Cowan University I work with DPIRD’s surveys team to produce estimations of harvest of recreational fisheries that capture the environmental and biological differences along our coastline and evaluate the variability in released catches and released rates, and the impact of released catches on estimating total harvest. I enjoy seeing how research outcomes contribute positively to the fishing experience in WA, while working in charming locations with interesting people. The support and goodwill I receive from colleagues, administrators and the fishers of WA is humbling and very beneficial to the research. I also enjoy developing and using new methods and technologies in collaboration with other researchers across the country. It is vital we have an understanding of the harvest and what effect that harvest is having. We use information on biology, current and historical catches to understand the resource, how it responds and how best to manage it.