Recreational crabbers are being encouraged to have their say on proposed changes to blue swimmer crab fishing rules in WA’s West Coast bioregion, with DPIRD’s public consultation now open.
Recfishwest is encouraging fishers to take part in the consultation process and help shape the future of this much-loved fishery – see the bottom of this article for the link to DPIRD’s survey to have your say.
What changes are being proposed:
The DPIRD’s proposals include standardising bag and boat limits across the West Coast bioregion to:
- A standardised individual bag limit of 10 crabs and a boat limit of 20 crabs (with two or more licensed fishers on board)
- Delaying the recreational season opening north of Minninup Beach from 1 December to 1 January
DPIRD research shows many crabs are undersized in December, having not yet moulted to legal size. Allowing an extra month would give crabs more time to grow and harden their shells, increasing the likelihood of catching legal-sized crabs when the season opens.
See the Department’s media release by clicking here and factsheet explaining the proposals here.
Recfishwest is encouraging fishers to take part in the consultation process and help shape the future of this much-loved fishery.
Recfishwest’s view
While Recfishwest generally supports efforts to keep fishing rules clear and easy to understand, this is a very important WA fishery and decisions about how it is managed affect tens of thousands of West Australians.
“Crabbing is a much-loved summer activity, and the experiences of fishers who spend time on the water are an important part of shaping how the fishery is managed,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“We support DPIRD exploring options to simplify crabbing rules and encourage crabbers to take part in the consultation and have their say.
“DPIRD has also proposed a later start to the season in response to the fact that many crabs caught in December can still be undersized. We’ve certainly heard similar comments from some crabbers about the condition of crabs early in the season being hollow with little meat, so allowing them more time to moult and put on weight could improve the quality of the crabs being caught.”
If crabbing is important to you, now is the time to speak up.
- Should the fishery remain open in December or are the crabs still too small?
- Is Christmas crabbing with family and friends something that is important to you?
- Do you see the need for standardised rules across this fishery?
- Or do you think the proposed changes would improve the fishery?
Whatever your view, it is important to have your say.
Have your say
Public consultation is open until 15 April 2026.
Fishers can provide feedback through DPIRD’s Have Your Say platform – complete the survey here.
Recfishwest will also make its own submission to DPIRD and we encourage our members and supporters to share their views on the department’s proposals.
