Mackerel eggs

[Matt_F]

Hi everyone,

I have a slightly unusual request for anyone heading out the reef from the Townsville area. This time of year is when Spanish Mackerel are getting down and doing the wild thing (having sex) and my request is that anyone heading out in the next month or so (if the weather will ever ease) can they please keep the gonads (eggs) from any female Spanish Mackerel that they catch? I will hopefully be getting out myself when the wind drops, but any assistance is always welcome.

The reason I’m asking, to cut a long story short, is I’m running a research project (at James Cook University) were we will be feeding these eggs to small reef fish to determine the effects on the little guys that eat it. This is a common phenomenon at spawning aggregation sites out on the reef. I guess it does seem a little abstract, but I promise you there is a point to doing this.

So if anyone is kind enough to help me out that would be great. All you need to do is remove the eggs when you catch the Mackerel and place them in a plastic bag in the esky and throw them in the freezer with the rest of the fish when you get home. Just pm me to get in contact with me.

Many thanks for your help,

Matt.

[CFisher]

Matt

I am a Townsville based commercial fisherman happy to help out any research projects I can - used to study and work in the field and know help can be hard to find at times. I will be catching mackerel on and off over the next couple of months (weather permitting).

PM me a contact number.

Cheers
Andy

[Leo_N.]

Andy you are a champ.

Maybe we will be able to get a mack or two on the weekend to help Matty out, but if anyone else out there gets into some it would help him out a heap....otherwise he will be spending the next 5 years of his life on this project.

[Matt_F]

Yes Leo,

This project is not as straight forward as yours, this is real science.

[Leo_N.]

It ain't science until it is published.

[BrandonH]

That would be more fun that what i was asked to collect!!!!

The UNI I work for asked me the other month if i wanted to collect 50 normal Jellyfish was going to pay me $300 for it but unfortunatlly it was the time of year when they were way out in the bay and i coulnd't get near them in my tinny could have done with an extra $300 for fishing gear

Good luck with your research mate!! I wish there were more of us researching out water enviroment!!

Cheers
Brandon...

[Kendall249]

Sounds like caviar night at JCU

[BigE]

Matt as someone who helped out some "Researchers" a few years ago (just before the RAP) I'm wondering what your research aims to shut rec fishers out of this time round. If any of other blokes decide it's worth your while to help the JCU green army in their efforts (cause they sure didn't help us last time round) to make YOUR sport & lesiure more difficult then you need to get off the glue!
sorry Matt I'll keep my mac frames for a much more worthy cause.

BigE

[Matt_F]

BigE,

I would bite but the bait wasn't good enough.

Under the chat board section 'general' there is a discusion on different peoples opinions of the definition of GREEN. Maybe you should have a read.

Cheers,

Matt.

[Kendall249]

Matt_F just a quick word of encouragement, as science needs true people of integrity working toward the greater good, not those with political interests/motives. I would be interested to here some of the details in regards to your research project , PM with any details. I'm currently studying biomed. out of CQU rocky, though if all goes well should get a start next year at JCU. Best of luck with your research project kendall.

[BigE]

no worries matt. I'm sure you have the best of intentions. bit like the good fellas that got us all to fill in them RAP survey forms a few years back, nice blokes all of em going to help you rec guys out etc etc

of course you could tell us the point of your abstract research & we will see how close to the mark you get.

BigE

[Kendall249]

Don't be judgemental bigE. His research is far form form abstract .

[dazza]

hi all,
i am with you on this bigE,
Matt F, who is sponsoring the research? and what are you trying to determine. not having a personal go at you, but JCU is probably not the most fisherman friendly uni around. they do a fair bit for GBRMPA so they won't bite the hand that feds them.
cheers
dazza

[nigelr]

Gotta agree with the BigE - come clean Matt F!

[BigE]

if your the know spill it kendall429 (kenny for short) Don't be judgemental bigE. His research is far form form abstract

Matty appears to have gone fishin?

BigE