Silver lining for Sound snapper

More than $25,000 has been raised by Recfishwest crowdfunding to release more than 100,000 pink snapper into Perth waters, after a successful Australia-first egg collection project.

Researchers collected more than 100,000 fertilised eggs during a pink snapper spawning in Cockburn Sound last month, thanks to funding by WA's Recreational Fishing Initiatives Find.

Recfishwest chief executive Dr Andrew Rowland said the team cracked the code in late October before the eggs hatched, resulting in thousands of snapper ready for release next year.

"The aim of the project was simply to test the concept of collecting eggs from the wild as a means of potentially boosting stocks if required in the future; it was never intended to be a specific restocking project," he said.

"Following last month's distressing events in Cockburn Sound, we believe the opportunity to stock these fish into local waters is too good to miss but we need the community's help to make it happen."

The fish are about 2cm in length but will be held in the hatchery until they are about 5cm long which will take about eight weeks and cost $25,000.

Recfishwest turned to crowd funding as a way to raise the money and, with 47 days to go, had raised more than $27,000.

"Every dollar raised over the $25,000 target will go back into Cockburn Sound pink snapper projects next year," Dr Rowland said.