65 Red Handfish released into the wild

In a major step for marine conservation, scientists have released 65 captive-raised Red Handfish into the wild to bolster the declining population near Hobart. 

“This moment represents an incredible effort by many people over many years. We’ve given the Red Handfish the best possible chance of survival, and every release helps us learn more and work towards recovering the species,” said marine ecologist Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith, who co-leads the Red Handfish research and conservation program at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for  Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), principally funded by national organisation, the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species (FAME), with support from the Australian Government  Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. 

Before releasing the handfish into the wild, scientists have been working to restore their natural habitat and improve the ecological conditions for the species.  

“Red handfish are facing many threats, and their extremely limited population and a severely degraded habitat has made them particularly vulnerable to extinction,” Dr Stuart-Smith said. 

Associate Professor Andrew Trotter, who leads the conservation breeding program for red  handfish at IMAS, said the team was happy to raise the fish in captivity, but excited to see them released to their natural habitat.  

“They’re wild animals and belong in the sea,” Associate Professor Trotter said. “It’s very rewarding to see the project enter the next phase, and this is an important step towards the species recovery”. 

FAME’s CEO, Tracy McNamara is delighted that their support has made this milestone possible.  “This achievement is a testament to the IMAS team, whose dedication is proving that even a species as close to extinction as the red handfish can be given a future. It shows that when you believe in dedicated teams with expertise, great things can happen. FAME is proud to support their efforts and to back bold conservation that delivers lasting recovery for Australia’s most endangered wildlife” she said. 

IMAS scientists will continue monitoring the red handfish in the wild, while the ongoing captive  breeding program will allow the release of more individuals to wild populations in the future. 

“We’re now focused on regular handfish releases to rebuild the population, combined with a suite of habitat restoration and management at red handfish sites. This approach is critical for the  survival of the species and has significant benefits to other species in the area.” 

Threatened Species Commissioner, Dr Fiona Fraser, said the red handfish is one of the 110  priority species under the Australia Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan. 

“This is a significant milestone towards the recovery of the Critically Endangered red handfish, and it is great to see this positive outcome from the captive rearing activities we have supported.” she said. 

With support from the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the  Environment and Water and the donors who support the Handfish Conservation Project. This important work is carried out in consultation with the National Handfish Recovery Team support, co-funding provided through Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania’s (NRE  Tas) Threatened Species Fund, and support from Tasmania’s Seahorse World and Sorell Council.

Photos above (top to bottom): IMAS diver Tyson Bessell releasing Handfish, Associate Professor Andrew Trotter inspecting Red Handfish individual for release, IMAS dive and ops team. (Credit: IMAS)

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