Developing a harvest strategy for the west coast demersal scalefish recovery

In a positive development relating around the management of dhufish and pink snapper in the West Coast Bioregion, the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD) has set up a working group to develop a west coast demersal scalefish fishery harvest strategy.

Last December, DPIRD released the latest research on the status of west coast demersal scalefish stocks at the 10-year mark of the recovery plan.

Pink snapper are a highly-valued demersal species for WA recfishers.

The report noted there were good signs of recovery for this important and popular fishery, especially in the South West. However, the document also reported that there were some areas that were showing evidence of only limited recovery. The next full stock assessment is due, Recfishwest has been told by DPIRD, in late 2020.

The harvest strategy group is made up of eight representatives including one from Recfishwest and others from the recreational, commercial and charter sectors, as well as DPIRD.

“The harvest strategy will contain clearly defined management actions linked to the recovery of our favourite fish and should give us all confidence that dhuies and snapper, which are community owned resources, are being effectively managed to achieve agreed objectives,” said Recfishwest CEO Andrew Rowland.

To find out more about the working group click here 

To help Recfishwest represent your interests on the working group and develop the best harvest strategy possible, Recfishwest is encouraging recfishers to outline their views through the west coast demersal scalefish fishery survey.

CLICK HERE TO CARRY OUT THE SURVEY ON THE FUTURE OF THE FISHERY

Dhufish stocks in the South West are recovering, according to DPIRD’s findings.

“It should only take you a few minutes to fill in and by responding you will be having a say in the future of this great fishery,” Dr Rowland said.

“We’ve been asking the Department for a harvest strategy for some time now for this fishery as it clearly sets out a framework and roadmap for fisheries management decisions with clear objectives, assessments, trigger points and decision rules.”

Dr Rowland said it was important to note that a harvest strategy does not deal with specific fishing rules such as bag and size limits, but rather sets broad scale biological, economic and social objectives around how the fishery should be managed.

“We strongly believe in fisheries management transparency and, rest assured, we will be reporting back to you on each meeting of the working group and will share with you the draft harvest strategy for further comments and input,” he said.

“We want to ensure future generations of West Aussie fishers can continue to enjoy catching dhuies and pinkies. So, we’ll be doing everything in our power to make sure this special fishery continues to provide great fishing experiences, forever.”

To learn more about what a harvest strategy is check out this video from Fisheries Queensland 

To see a recent example of a harvest strategy, you can check out the strategy completed for the Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource here

 

Continue Reading

January 30, 2025

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…

Read More

January 30, 2025

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…

Read More

January 29, 2025

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…

Read More

January 28, 2025

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…

Read More

January 21, 2025

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…

Read More

January 20, 2025

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…

Read More