News Archive

Casting your vote for fishing in the State election
With just a week until the State election, Recfishwest has below pulled together all the commitments parties have made to secure better outcomes for fishing. Click here to read about Recfishwest’s platform for…

World-record breaking cobia and a magic marlin run – marine heatwave powers up Perth pelagics
WA is riding a marine heatwave with ocean temperatures 2–3°C above average, sparking both challenges and incredible fishing opportunities. Experts warn of risks like fish kills and coral bleaching and Recfishwest…

Fishing for votes: parties cast lines with jetty pledges
As the State Election heats up, all major parties are recognising the value of jetties and fishing platforms to local communities, making significant commitments to build and upgrade them. Labor has pledged around…

Huge Snapper Guardians turnout highlights Cockburn Sound’s value to local community
The record attendance of 1,000 people at this year’s Snapper Guardians highlights the huge value the local community places in Cockburn Sound and the pink snapper stocks it supports. Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew…

Recfishwest welcomes more mobile coverage for WA fishers, but Salmon Holes still left in the dark
Recfishwest welcomes the announcement that the State Government is boosting mobile coverage at dozens of coastal locations around the state. It includes $2 million set aside for the installation of mobile towers…

Recfishwest pushing to boost freshwater fishing with floating jetty at Big Brook Dam
An innovative idea for a new fishing platform at Pemberton’s Big Brook Dam is being floated by Recfishwest and the local fishing community – quite literally! The iconic dam provides year-round trout fishing…

Port Hedland community to get a new artificial reef!
Recfishwest is excited to announce plans to install a new artificial reef off the coast of Port Hedland in partnership with BHP. A new addition to the State’s network of seven current artificial reefs, the new Port…

Design plans for Bunbury’s new jetty promise exciting, accessible fishing for everyone!
When last year’s State budget was released, we were excited to see $4 million allocated for a new fishing platform to replace Bunbury’s recently condemned community fishing jetty. Today, we can share the design…

WA’s marine heatwave demands action to build fisheries’ resilience
Last week, DPIRD issued a marine heatwave alert for the North Coast and Gascoyne regions with the potential for it to reach the southern half of the State over the next couple of months. This follows current sea…

Bluewater Classic sees big species variety and donations to science
A strong turn-out for the 2025 Bluewater Classic run out of Geographe Bay showcased the South-West community’s passion for fishing – with many of the 160-plus participating fishers donating samples to fisheries…

Family fishing fun lures kids to enjoy the great West Aussie outdoors
The great West Aussie summer holidays are seeing thousands of mums, dads and kids making golden memories at family fishing events in the South of our State. Family-fun-packed events like the ever-popular Mandalay…

Making fishing the winner in the State election
As you may have noticed, campaigning for the 2025 State Election in March is already heating up, with parties announcing a range of commitments should they win to appeal to the voting public. At Recfishwest, we…

Top marroning tips and a welcome marron habitat enhancement commitment by the Fisheries Minister
On behalf of the Cast of Thousands, Recfishwest welcomes Fisheries Minister Don Punch’s announcement to improve marron habitat at Harvey, Logue Brook and Wellington dams if his party is re-elected. Improving…

Recfishwest’s marron ‘whisperer’ gives top tips for marroning and calls for more stocking of South-West icon
The marron season starting tomorrow (8th Jan – 5th Feb) is set to snare the interest of thousands of mums, dads and kids, who will eagerly grab their gear and venture to our picturesque freshwater dams and rivers…

“Roboseeder” robot in trials to ramp up restoration of critical Cockburn Sound seagrass habitat
A cutting edge “roboseeder” underwater robot is being trialled in Cockburn Sound to sew seagrass seeds help restore depleted beds of the ecologically critical plant. Cockburn Sound has lost 80 per cent of its…

Clontarf kids enjoy the cracking fishing on offer in Exmouth
From great fish smashing baits to cricket balls being smashed on the beach – Recfishwest’s latest fishing clinic in Exmouth was a big hit for the northern Clontarf academies. Run in collaboration with the…

Enjoy safe and successful abalone fishing this summer
Recfishwest is encouraging all abalone fishers to enjoy safe fishing this summer by being aware of the weather conditions and wearing all the right gear. Thousands of abalone fishers are expected to flock to the…

Crabbing in Cockburn Sound – what you need to know ahead of December 1st
The hotly anticipated annual summer crabbing season on the lower west coast gets underway this Sunday, 1 December, and has some extra spice this year for crustacean connoisseurs with Cockburn Sound reopening for…