G'day Everyone,

There have been some pretty strange catches lately with the recent warmer ocean temperatures. Its getting to be a long list of species such as cobia, mud crabs, spanish mackerel, dart, spangled emperor, threadfin salmon, marlin, queenfish etc. - all being caught and spotted much further south than their documented range. For the first time we have a way of collecting and sharing these unusual catches and sightings through an Australia-wide initiative called Redmap (www.redmap.org.au). Redmap stands for the 'Range Extension Database Mapping Project' and we are really keen to see and document what fish and other marine species are on the move in WA waters and how that might be affecting our fish stocks and fisheries.

The great thing about Redmap is its a legitimate citizen science project. When you make a report and upload your photograph to the website (www.redmap.org.au), the identification and report will be verified by a marine scientist making your information another piece in the puzzle to determine which species are on the move. So next time you head out for the fish, remember to take your camera or mobile phone out with you as you just never quite know what you will catch. Look forward to seeing some amazing pics on www.redmap.org.au as we kick off the project in WA.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers,

Mike Burgess

Redmap WA Team - Department of Fisheries

Web: www.redmap.org.au

Email: wa@redmap.org.au