Hi Versus,

I was sent the following link for the latest Sep 13 newsletter:

http://catch.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/y/7E3B9B406DD71FC0/1E07AA831D9AA047907C5D7C792C0FF8

I did ask some questions with regards to squid sample collections and below is the reply I get from Peter Coulson -the person heading the project:

Dear Eric,

Thanks for your email.

Yes, the bad weather certainly does make it more difficult to find squid, but they are usually there if have the time cover lots of ground.

I have attached an image of what I would ideally like to get from recreational fishers. If you have fished for squid before, you have probably cleaned a few. If you run your fingers underneath the quill to separate it from the  tube, you should then be able to grab the quill and head and pull these out with the guts attached all in one piece.

I don’t need the tentacles or the tube. I need squid of all sizes from the smallest to the largest and so, to answer your question, there is no minimum size of the squid that I need.

It is fine if you just freeze the head/guts/quill together in bag with a label denoting place and date of capture and depth, if you know. If you catch multiple squid in one session these can be frozen together in the same bag, but only if the quill and head/guts are still attached to one another. I need to be able to match the quill to the head/guts to which it belongs so that I can get an estimate of the length of the squid. If the quill becomes detached from the head/guts please freeze each animal in a separate bag.

 In terms of collecting and samples from you, I am happy to come to your home, office or wherever to pick them up. Alternately, you can drop them off at Murdoch University or at one of the fisheries offices. Please let me know if you drop them off at a fisheries office so that I can go and collect them before they get lost.

Many thanks for your offer to help. Would you also be able to forward me the email that you received from fisheries regarding the squid research. I haven’t seen it yet

Kind regards, Pete.C.

Peter Coulson

Centre for Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Research

Murdoch University

Western Australia

61 08 9360 2695

0407 730 652

p.coulson@murdoch.edu.au

http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/peter-coulson/

just signed up for the E-letter, good to keep up with all the regulations.