The Fish Ageing Network's very first fish rack drop-off freezer was installed today at Captree State Park near the fish cutting station, just behind Captree Bait & Tackle! The Fishery Dependent Sampling Team is looking for anglers to donate their fish racks – the leftover bones, heads, and tails after the delicious fillets are taken – for science. We are especially looking for Weakfish, Striped Bass, Tautog (Blackfish), Cobia, False Albacore, and Spanish Mackerel. Sign up to the Fish Ageing Network (FAN) by emailing FANprogram@dec.ny.gov or call 631-444-0454.
Why does DEC want nasty fish racks? Inside every fish's head are special ear bones called otoliths that grow throughout a fish's life. Otoliths show this growth via rings, or annuli, just like the inside of a tree. Once extracted from the fish rack, these structures allow DEC staff to tell how old the fish was when it was caught. Ageing fish is an important part of the science we do for our Long Island fisheries, allowing us to characterize fish populations and monitor them through time. If you'd like to donate your fish racks and get a report of the ages of your fish, sign up for FAN or just leave your fish rack at our brand new freezer at Captree State Park with your name and phone number on provided carcass tags inside the freezer.
FAN hopes to have more freezers out at marinas come next year. Help us make this program great and give your fish a second purpose by donating it to FAN!
First FAN Freezer Location in Captree State Park