Recreational fishing news

New rules for Camden Sound and Horizontal Falls

New fishing rules within Lalang-garram / Camden Sound and Lalang-garram / Horizonal Falls marine parks came into effect on 11 June, 2022.

The two marine parks include three different zone types - general use, special purposes and sanctuary.

Horizontal Falls includes: 
•    eight no-take sanctuary zones;
•    three special purpose zones for recreation and conservation; and 
•    a general use zone. 

Camden Sound includes: 
•    two no-take sanctuary zones; 
•    a special purpose whale conservation zone;
•    a special purpose wilderness conservation zone  
•    a special purpose pearling zone; and 
•    four general use zones.

There will be new fishing rules within these marine park areas, so it is important to know your zones and where you can and can't fish:

12th WA fishery certified by MSC

Western Australia now has 12 fisheries that meet the world’s gold standard in sustainability! 

Rare Foods Australia (RFA) recently secured an eco-tick of approval from the Marine Stewardship Council for their ‘hatch and catch’ fishery for greenlip abalone.
 
RFA operates the world’s first abalone ranch near Augusta. They have found a unique way to utilise hatchery abalone on specially built reefs in sustainable conditions. Grown from seed, it takes two to three years to grow them to marketable size and harvests in 2020-2021 totalled 75.9 tonnes sent to seafood markets in Australia and overseas. 

This new tick of approval highlights our commitment to protecting our State’s marine environment, in a year when we are also celebrating WA’s 10 years of commitment to sustainability through the MSC certification program.
 

BEN signs go fully metro

With City of Stirling finishing up the install of their Beach Emergency Numbers (BEN) signs in early June, it means all metro local government areas now have BEN signage.

The number of BEN signs around Western Australia keeps growing, with nearly 1500 now installed around WA, both metro and regional.

Named in honour of fatal shark bite victim Ben Gerring, BEN signs aim to improve emergency response times by providing specific location information, vital when emergency services are deployed in the event of a shark sighting, incident or other beach emergencies.

Download the SharkSmart WA app to find your nearest BEN sign, weather information and notifications of shark activity. 

Looking for a sea change?

To support regional fishers and businesses get the workers they need, the WA Government is offering up to $3860 in travel and accommodation rebates for making the journey to work in regional WA. 

Australian residents and international Working Holiday Maker visa holders who relocate more than 100kms to work in agriculture, fisheries, hospitality or tourism jobs in regional WA can apply for the scheme after two weeks of employment. 

Know someone looking for work experience? Loves being on the water? There are jobs going for all different types and experience levels:
•    aquaculture worker & technician
•    deckhands & first mates
•    skipper
•    diver 
•    cold storage warehouse assistance
•    tour guides and more…

Check out the Paid Escape webpage - an initiative that helps connect live SEEK regional job listings with job seekers.

Learn more about the travel incentive scheme and eligibility criteria.

Keep aquarium fish out of our waterways

If you have ornamental fish you no longer want, please don’t release them into our waterways. Ornamental fish that come from an aquarium or get moved from one waterbody to another can have a devastating impact on our native species and aquatic environment. If they get established they can be difficult if not impossible to eradicate and their impact may be irreversible. 

This is particularly important for high conservation areas such the cave karst system in the Cape Range Peninsular near Exmouth, where DPIRD officers were recently involved in eradicating ornamental fish species. These systems are home to rare cave-dwelling species found nowhere else on earth. Having evolved in isolation, these creatures are particularly vulnerable to introduced species. If feral aquarium fish become established in Cape Range’s waterways, their long-term survival may be threatened.

If you no longer want your fish, give them to a pet shop, contact an organisation or find someone willing to take them, and only tip aquarium water on grass, not in drains or waterways. 

To find out more, check our new Don’t dump that fish brochure, or the aquatic biosecurity pages on our website. 

Let us know about any unusual fish or pest species you see, or catch, and help us protect WA’s aquatic environment by emailing Aquatic.Biosecurity@dpird.wa.gov.au, or calling FishWatch 1800 815 507. If you do catch a pest or ornamental species, please do not return it to the water.

Otolith catalogue a WA first

After 10 years, and thousands of photos of otoliths from as many species of fish from WA’s South West as possible, a fisheries researcher has produced WA’s first photographic catalogue which showcases 268 different species identified by their otoliths.

Otoliths or ‘ear bones’ are small bone-like structures made of a hard calcium carbonate matrix found in a fish’s inner ear, used by the fish for balance and hearing.

Being bone, they are often the last parts remaining after the fish has been eaten, digested or decomposed. In addition to being used to age and size fish, another useful feature of otoliths is that each species has their own unique otolith shape, making fish identifiable from just these tiny bones.

Check out some of the weird and wonderful shapes!

Artificial reef is king at Exmouth

What a difference just four years can make… these before and after photos show the stunning transformation of an artificial reef deployed off Exmouth in 2018. It is exciting to see how artificial reefs around WA are developing into flourishing productive fish habitats and great fishing sites. 

King Reef is the fastest growing artificial reef in Australia and is made up of almost 50 concrete modules and six large, repurposed steel structures. It is now home to more than 100 species of colourful fish and coral, highlighting the biodiversity of the Exmouth Gulf.

Covering an area equal to five footy ovals’ worth of previously barren ocean floor, King Reef is 6km offshore from town, easily reached by small boats launched from the town boat ramp, providing the community with enhanced fishing experiences. 

The project is a collaboration between the Exmouth community, Recfishwest, Curtin University, Subcon, BHP, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) and WA State Government through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund.

If you are heading out to wet a line, make sure you stick to the rules and take only what you need for a feed. For more recreational fishing rules, visit fish.wa.gov.au/recfishing.

MSC stewardship grants to WA researchers

Two DPIRD research projects have been granted international funding to support the ongoing sustainability of WA’s fisheries.

The grants, awarded by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) from its Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF), will be used to collect the habitat data needed to better manage fishing impacts in WA’s Peel Harvey blue swimmer crab and West Coast crystal crab fisheries.

These fisheries are MSC certified, meaning their operations and management have been assessed and certified against the highest sustainability standard in the world. The OSF grants will ensure these fisheries can continue to operate at this standard.

This year marks 10 years of the WA Government’s commitment to the MSC certification program, which has raised and certified the sustainability standards of 11 fisheries in WA. These OSF funded projects reflect DPIRD’s ongoing commitment to the program. 

The projects will fund aerial and on-ground surveys of endangered birds in the Mandurah wetlands, and the development of an automated and illuminated underwater camera monitoring system for deep sea data collection off our west coast.

Shark depredation studies

Shark depredation (or bite-offs) occur when a shark partially or completely eats a fisher’s catch before it can be brought on deck.

Recreational, charter and commercial fishers in WA are reporting significant increases in shark depredation, particularly in the Gascoyne and Pilbara.

Our researchers have participated in a number of studies to better understand and address shark depredation. Some recent findings include:

• the probability of sharks taking fish is reduced by 65 per cent when using deterrents (electronic, magnetic & acoustic were tested);
• sharks arrive within 15-30 minutes of fishing commencing, so moving spots helps decrease bite-offs; and
• depredation rates are higher in areas where more people are fishing, for example, close to boat ramps.

Developing measures against shark bite-offs is complex, and there is no easy solution. Check out our shark depredation science update  to find out more.

Snippets

Seasonal notes

• Fishing for abalone in Zone 3 (Southern zone) is closed from 15 May to 30 September inclusive.
• Fishing for pink snapper is closed in the Eastern Gulf from 1 May to 31 July inclusive.
• Fishing for pink snapper at Northern Bernier Island is closed from 1 June to 31 August inclusive.

In the courts

Breaching the 10kg finfish limit cost a Melville man more than $4600 in the Shark Bay magistrate’s court recently when he was found to have 19.6kgs of finfish fillets at his campsite.                                                                                                                       

The abuse and obstruction of fisheries officers at Lighthouse Bay near the Ningaloo Marine Park in April led to a Great Southern man receiving fines and costs of nearly $3000. 

Illegal mud crab fishing cost a 47 year old man almost $4000 in fines, penalties and costs in the Derby Court after his boat was found with undersized crabs and 10 more than the personal daily bag limit.

Illegal sales of rock lobster, as well as using excess pots and interfering with other people’s fishing gear, has cost a Cooloongup man more than $30 000 in fines and costs, as well as having to forfeit his boat and gear.

Be SharkSmart – help inform others by switching on your Sea Sense and reporting shark sightings to Water Police on 9442 8600 or download the SharkSmart WA app for near real time updates of the latest reported sightings.

Rock fishing safety – Keep the sand between your toes and stay off the rocks – but if you do choose to fish from the rocks, fish with a buddy, always let people know where you are going, and make sure you wear a type 1 life jacket, rock boots and follow the rock fishing safety tips on @Recfishwest's fish and survive website.

Fishing in the Northern Bioregion  – In the Northern Region there could be specific rules you may not be familiar with, so if you plan on fishing the area, it is important to check the current Recreational fishing guide and the RecfishWest app before you head out, and if you see anything suspicious, call FishWatch on 1800 815 507.

Help keep our waterways pest free – You can help us protect WA’s aquatic environment by emailing Aquatic.Biosecurity@dpird.wa.gov.au, or calling FishWatch on 1800 815 507, and if you see or catch any ornamental or unusual fish or pest species please do not return them to the water.

FishWatch - If you see something that looks a bit fishy, please report it so we can investigate. Anyone who has information on illegal fishing activities can call FishWatch on 1800 815 507.

Illegal fishing could include someone netting in the river, exceeding their bag or possession limits, taking undersize fish, fishing in a closed area, having more fishing gear in the water than they should, or selling or attempting to sell recreationally caught fish. Before you call, make a note of as much detail as possible, such as who, what, when, where and how, including registration numbers. All reports are confidential and many reports made to FishWatch result in successful apprehensions

Find us on Social Media – We regularly share information about fishing rules, safety and aquatic biosecurity through social media , as well as information of interest to recfishers. Check us out, like or follow us at Fisheries WA on Facebook and Twitter.  

Important disclaimer 

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Copyright © Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 2022