Do you fish regularly and want to be involved in fisheries research?
The Research Angler Program is for recreational fishers interested in keeping a logbook of their fishing. By recording information on your fishing trips, you can help monitor the status of the fish and invertebrate populations.
Join the program today!
Sign up by sending your contact details (name, phone number and mailing address) to our research team at research.survey@dpird.wa.gov.au with the subject line: ‘Joining the Research Angler Program’. You can also call 08 9203 0111 if you’d like to find out a bit more before joining.
Email us to sign up
Benefits of joining the Research Angler Program
Logbook data helps Fisheries scientists monitor fish populations and understand recreational fishing dynamics. This information contributes to stock assessments, management decisions and future research directions to ensure the sustainability of the State’s fisheries and aquatic resources.
The details you provide can provide useful insights into stock dynamics of your favourite species and the health of your local waterways.
Research logbooks can also serve as your own personal record of fishing trips, which many fishers really enjoy looking back on. Some fishers believe their logbooks can even improve future catches!
How the program works
You don’t need any scientific training to become a member of the Research Angler Program, just enthusiasm.
Our research volunteers come from many social and ethnic backgrounds, and all share a passion for conserving Western Australia’s aquatic environment, fish and their habitats. If you would like to make a difference to WA’s future, we’d love to have you on board.
How to sign up
Simply send an email to research.survey@dpird.wa.gov.au with the subject line 'Joining the Research Angler Program' and include your contact information to get started - it's free!
What do I get?
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive your free logbook and a stack of reply-paid envelopes for returning the data (so it costs nothing to be involved). Logbooks can also be returned digitally via the email address above.
What information do I record?
In your logbook, you’ll be asked to record the details of your catch and effort, such as when and where you fished, the types of gear used, and the numbers, species and size of fish caught. Note that all data is strictly confidential and you can choose the level of detail which you wish to provide.
Why participate?
Volunteers make an essential contribution to the research work of our scientists. WA’s huge coastline and inland waterway systems make studying fish and invertebrate populations a real challenge. Through simply logging information from fishing trips, recreational fishers can provide a wealth of important data.
The information you provide as a research angler will help our scientists to better understand fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems, including:
- relative abundance, diversity and size composition
- the presence of rare or exotic species
- environmental influences and effects of climate change.
This information can help ensure the sustainability of WA fish stocks.