Boats to hit Albany waters on Saturday for Southern Ocean Spectacular, featuring a new sustainable format

Albany fishing competition the Southern Ocean Spectacular will be conducted under a new format this year, with about 50 boats expected to hit the water in search of a winning catch. The annual competition, run by the Albany Boating and Fishing Club, will be held in Albany waters on Saturday. However it will no longer have the usual “weigh in” stage at the Albany Boating and Fishing Club, instead using a more sustainable approach. Previously, competitors have brought their prized catch back to the club to be weighed, with the winner for each species announced once the results are in. But there has been a change for 2022. Competitors will be required to take photos of their fish on a brag mat in their boat before having the option of returning it to the water alive. Southern Ocean Spectacular organiser Anthony Wise said this Saturday would be the first time the event had gone without a weigh in at the end of the day. “In the past, fish are caught and brought in dead to be weighed,” Mr Wise said. “This year we have gone away from that. “This is a much more sustainable, more environmentally friendly way of holding the competition. “We are encouraging our members and the broader public to think about what we are catching and how we are doing it.” The catch statistics from the event will be shared with Dr Barbara Cook from UWA Albany, who is running a research program which compares historic fish paintings to fish caught in recent times to gauge changes. Recfishwest will also use the data to build a database of recreational fishing information for fisheries management and science. Mr Wise said a competition briefing would be held at the club on Friday night before 40-50 competitor boats hit the water on Saturday, with promising conditions forecast. Prizes on offer include $600 for the longest fish from each species.