New FADs season launched: 30 devices with some cutting-edge tech

Recfishwest is excited to announce the launch of this summer’s new Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) season, with 30 devices being deployed across the southern half of WA in the coming weeks.  

This year’s rollout also includes innovative fish-monitoring technology that will be trialled for the first time in Australia. Check it out in the video below! 

Ten FADs are already in position off the north metro coast, behind Rottnest, and off Rockingham and Mandurah, ready for action.

An additional 20 FADs, stretching from Steep Point to Albany, will be deployed by the end of November, setting the stage for another fantastic summer of pelagic fishing for dolphinfish, tuna, billfish and the like.  

CHECK OUT OUR FADS WEBSITE PAGE FOR THE FADS’ CURRENT STATUS AND COORDINATES  

Sounding out an even better future for FADs

At the season launch at Hillarys, Minister for Fisheries Don Punch joined Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland to unveil the sonar technology that will be trialled on FADs this summer. 

These buoys will provide 24/7 live data on the number and size of fish gathering around the devices, offering valuable insights into the behavior of pelagic species and supporting the continuous improvement of sportfishing opportunities on the FADs. 

The new Satlink SLX+ sounders being trialled will deploy a 35-degree beam and provide 24/7 information on the biomass of fish aggregating within 10 depth intervals (down to 115m depth).  

To save bandwidth, data from the sounder will be streamed hourly, with five-minute intervals captured from an hour before to an hour after sunrise, a key period for pelagic fishing.  

This will help DPIRD assess fish abundance under the FADs and correlate it with factors like temperature and depth.  

The data will potentially help refine future FAD placements and deployment timing.

Ongoing evolution

CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “It’s great to see the Government backing in this program, which began almost 30 years ago with the Perth Game Fishing Club and has since evolved through Recfishwest’s successful Statewide FADs trial.  

“We welcome DPIRD trialling these sonar buoys on six of the locations from the Abrolhos through to Albany to help better understand what fish are turning up and at what time of year.” 

“We look forward to more innovation of this kind supporting better recfishing. 

On behalf of the cast of thousands, Recfishwest will continue to keep all fishers up to date with all FADs developments.  

The FADs have produced some beautiful captures over the years for both both fishers and spearfishers, with dolphinfish a commonly encountered species at the devices. Images: Beau Suladra and Spearwest.

Continue Reading

November 05, 2024

Fishing community secures a better outcome for fishers in South Coast Marine Parks

Recfishwest is pleased the State Government has listened to thousands of recreational fishers and accepted more than 80 per cent of the key points raised in Recfishwest’s South Coast Marine Parks submission.   The…

Read More

October 31, 2024

Exmouth fishing competition captures highlights King Reef’s rich marine biodiversity

Anglers got to sample Exmouth Gulf’s crowning glory as part of Exmouth Game Fishing Club’s (EGFC’s) ‘King of the Reef ‘competition, which saw a total of 20 different species caught at King Reef artificial reef…

Read More

October 16, 2024

Dampier’s Accenture Mackerel 5000

Recfishwest’s Sam Russell and Levi DeBoni recently attended Dampier’s Accenture Mackerel 5000 competition – here Levi reflects on the trip and the community’s strong passion for fishing they both encountered there…

Read More

October 15, 2024

Nominations open for the Recfishwest Board

Are you passionate about the future of fishing in Western Australia? Do you believe in the importance of sustainable fisheries, environmental stewardship and community engagement? Recfishwest is seeking dedicated…

Read More

October 02, 2024

Women take the wheel through community grant subsidized skippers’ ticket course

A group of ladies will now be able to take the wheel at the helm of their vessels having qualified for their skipper’s tickets through a dedicated women’s course initiated by Cockburn Power Boats  (CPB) with the…

Read More

October 01, 2024

Lords of the swords – a deep dive into Perth’s hot new swordfish fishery

Recfishwest Operations Officer and Perth Game Fishing Club committee member, Levi De Boni is no stranger to billfish fishing off the metro coast. In this article he writes about the exciting emergence of the metro…

Read More