New fishing platform for Bunbury fishers sets standard for more land-based fishing access across the State

Bunbury recfishers are celebrating a long-awaited victory after the newly refurbished Bunbury Service Jetty was officially opened for public fishing today.

This morning, Recfishwest and Fishability joined WA Ports Minister Alannah MacTiernan and Bunbury MLA Don Punch to open up public fishing access to Bunbury’s Outer Harbour.

Grins from ear-to-ear all round with the Bunbury Service Jetty opened for fishing access.

Recfishwest Operations Manager Leyland Campbell hailed the jetty’s opening as a wonderful result for Bunbury’s land-based anglers. Leyland said many Bunbury recfishers had been desperate for better fishing access since Koombana Bay’s iconic Bunbury Jetty was demolished in 2013.

“Fishers now have improved access to deep water to target herring, skippy, crabs and whiting from a great spot close to the city centre,” Leyland said.

“In the seven years, since the former jetty was removed, the South West recfishing community and Recfishwest have been vocal about creating new fishing access to replace what had been lost.

“Creating better fishing experiences and improved access to catch fish on man-made structures such as jetties like this remains one of Recfishwest’s key objectives.

Woahhh! Morgan, 10, landed this cracking little shovel nose shark from the jetty!

“In this regard, the opening of the Bunbury Service Jetty is a win for the Bunbury recfishing community – but it is also a win for all WA recfishers, as it sets a good precedent for pursuing similar initiatives in other towns throughout the State.

“Credit also goes to the City of Bunbury and Southern Ports for their part in making this platform accessible to fishers.”

The unveiling comes after the State Government revealed in January it would honour an election commitment to refurbish the platform and allow fishing access.

An exciting new fishing program for people with disabilities

The jetty features wheelchair-accessible fishing spots, which has been welcomed by Fishability Chairperson Michael Donnelly.

Thanks to the refurbishment of the service jetty, Fishability will now be able to run one of their excellent fishing programs for people with disabilities in the region.

Given the jetty caters for wheelchair accessibility, Mr Donnelly said the organisation would be able to establish a fishing program for people with disabilities living in Bunbury.

“We are very excited about the prospect of establishing a new program in Bunbury, which to date, has not been possible due to the lack of a suitable all-access site,” he said.

“The new Bunbury Harbour Fishing platform will be ideal for our activities, with ease of access for people using wheelchairs, and has fantastic fishing potential.”

Campaigning for better land-based fishing access for all

Over the years, recreational fishers have lost access to so many great fishing locations across the State. However, today’s announcement proves it is possible to regain access to our favourite fishing spots.

“So, while we celebrate this great development today – we will continue to work hard to ensure we will be celebrating many more like it in the not-too-distant future,” Leyland said.

As soon as the Bunbury jetty opened, fishers sprung into action to wet a line.

Continue Reading

May 30, 2023

Spotting sharks on your sounder to help reduce bite-offs

“The taxman”, “the men in grey suits” or just plain old “bloody sharks.” Whatever you call them, sharks biting off your prized catch as you bring it into the boat can be the bane of many fishers’ fishing trips…

Read More

May 05, 2023

West coast demersal $10m support package – a golden opportunity to support better decisions that cannot be missed

As the dust settles on the new fishing rules for west coast demersals, Recfishwest says the Government has got to get right the way $10 million of public money is spent on supporting the fishery. The Government…

Read More

May 05, 2023

Scott’s south coast gems

The south coast is a delightful part of the world, especially at this time of year. Autumn truly is the time to enjoy everything it has to offer, with the best weather of the year featuring still, warm day days and…

Read More

May 05, 2023

Jurien Bay FADs fire up, bringing great new fishing options to the Mid-West

The sportfishing action in Jurien Bay has cranked up since the deployment of four FADs off the coastline!  It is great to see fishers reap the benefits of catches from FADs across WA, with Recfishwest and local…

Read More

May 04, 2023

A tale of two jetties

All too often, we see prized fishing jetties desperately needing TLC and restoration abandoned, left to rot or demolished as the red tape around who is responsible in managing and maintaining them puts them in the…

Read More

May 04, 2023

Partners playing a huge role in helping us make fishing better in WA

Outside of our core funding contribution from recreational fishing licence fees via DPIRD, a growing range of valued partners are helping us do more for West Aussie fishers in 2023. Without additional support for…

Read More