For immediate use
From bait to BBQ: sardines are on the move
A new $249,000 project funded by The Australian Government through the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) will study of the movement patterns of
the Australian Sardine (Sardinops sagax) throughout southern Australia.
The Australian Sardine is a critical component of Australia’s temperate marine
ecosystems, being a key prey item for a wide range of predatory fishes, marine
mammals and seabirds.
Sardines have traditionally been used as bait by recreational fishers and in more recent
times as fodder for caged Southern Bluefin Tuna. However, like calamari before it, this
tasty species is making the transition from the bait bucket to the barbeque plate.
The study will examine the extent to which sardines move between regions, which has
implications for how these fisheries are assessed and managed. Currently sardine
movement patterns are poorly understood in some key areas, such as along the east
coast and between the Great Australian Bight and South Australia’s two gulfs.
The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) will lead this
research project, which involves scientists from the University of Adelaide, New South
Wales Department of Industry and Investment, University of NSW, Queensland
Primary Industries and Fisheries Victoria. These agencies and universities are
contributing an additional $371,396 to this project in the form of staff time and access
to key facilities.
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Tim Ward (SARDI), says this study is a
good example of how collaboration among government and university scientists from
different states can benefit the fishing industry by providing innovative, cost-effective
ways to address nationally-important research questions.
This is an exciting project because it will use modern scientific techniques to compare
the shape and chemistry of more than ten thousand otoliths (earbones) currently
archived in each of the five participating states, says Co-investigator, Associate
Professor Bronwyn Gillanders of the University of Adelaide.
The cooperative approach taken in the project will involve a steering committee with
representatives of the Commonwealth Government, State fisheries and research
agencies, universities and the commercial fishing sector. This approach builds on the
model developed in the recent national study to develop stock assessment methods for
Blue (slimey) Mackerel, which was also funded by the FRDC.
Media contact: Associate Professor Tim Ward, SARDI Aquatic Sciences, (08) 8200
2433; Mobile: 0401 126 388
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