Tag: Community

Recfishwest at the 2023 Perth Boat Show – the views, the issues and the most colourful lure designs you’ll ever see!

Recfishwest got the chance to catch up with hundreds of mad keen recfishers on the weekend (15-17 September) at the Perth Boat Show. 

Our stand at the heart of the show’s fishing section was a hive of activity across the three days – we had a steady flow of members from our passionate community wanting to get our take on all the hot fishing issues of the day.  

Our kids’ lure colouring comp – run in partnership with Halco – proved to be as popular a draw as ever, with more than one hundred young fishos entering an array of the most colourful lure designs you’ll ever see.  

The lucky winner judged by an expert Recfishwest panel will have their lure design made up into an exclusive Recfishwest lure and win a tour around Halco’s HQ in Freo, along with receiving 10 of their own design lures! 

Dozens of boat show attendees also took advantage of our boat show special offer of joining up as a premium Recfishwest member at the show for just $10 and were given an exclusive past winning design of a Recfishwest/Halco lure.  

It is great to have new members on board joining our cast of thousands and hundreds of you at the show came over to tell us you were already members and love the work we’re doing on behalf of the community. The overall support we received at the Show from attendees and other exhibitors was truly amazing and we are very grateful to be able to represent such a great community.  

Hot topics 

From marine parks, to plans for offshore windfarms, clarification on new lifejacket rules or the state of play for west coast demersals – an array of fishing topics came up at the boat show from fishers across a wide range of locations, ages and backgrounds – once again highlighting the diversity of the cast of thousands that is the WA fishing community.  

Being able to hear your views and answer your questions helps us better advocate to fisheries decision-makers on your behalf to improve fishing experiences, access, safety and sustainability throughout WA. Here are some of the questions that came up and some of our answers: 

The Recfishwest crew spoke with hundreds of friendly fishers from all around WA during the 2023 Perth Boat Show.

1) When will the west coast demersal fishery be open and closed over the coming months?

Given there are numerous opening and closing periods for the west coast demersal season over the coming months along the West Coast Bioregion (Kalbarri down to Augusta), there is understandably some confusion surrounding when fishers have the green light to bottom fish off boats for demersal species.  

Here is a rundown of the open and closed periods for demersal fishing in the West Coast Bioregion until winter, 2024.  

  • Demersal fishing is open during the school holidays from September 23 until midnight on October 8. 
  • It is then closed from October 9 until December 15 (inclusive). 
  • Open from December 16 until the end of January. 
  • Closed from February 1 until March 31.  
  • Open from April 1 until July 31.  

Note, fishers can catch demersal species when beach or drone fishing off the land 24/7 and 365 days per year. From 1 August until 31 January, however, to protect pink snapper spawning aggregations, you are not allowed to fish for pink snapper either on the water or from shore within the mapped area in Cockburn or Warnbro Sound (pictured below).  

Fishing for pink snapper off the land or by boat is not allowed in Cockburn and Warnbro Sound (see closure boundaries above) between 1 September – 31 January.

Recfishwest is keenly awaiting the outcome of the Voluntary Fisheries Adjustment Scheme (VFAS) later this year – which gives commercial fishers the opportunity to surrender their share of demersal catches for fair and reasonable compensation.   

If there is a significant amount surrendered, it could create a more equitable sharing of the sustainable catch between recreational, charter and commercial fishing sectors allowing for more time out on the water for mums, dads, kids and mates fishing for iconic demersals.  

2) What is happening with plans for Marmion Marine Park? 

The boundaries of Marmion are planned to extend further north from Trigg up to Two Rocks. It will also stretch out west to some parts of the Three Mile Reef, nearly quadrupling the park in size with extensive no fishing sanctuary zones expected to be included. Plans for this extension of Marmion Marine Park could be released for public comment as early as October.

The Government has planned to extend Marmion Marine Park further north past Two Rocks and out west past Three Mile reef, near to quadrupling the current size of the marine park with potentially significant no fishing sanctuary zones included.

Recfishwest and the Perth metro community that enjoy wetting a line throughout this stretch of coastline share concerns about fishers being locked out of their favourite fishing beaches and spots out on the ocean throughout this area.   

We urge everyone to have their say on areas important to them by making a submission to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) when the time comes, so check in on our social media channels for the latest and join Recfishwest’s Cast of Thousands to give us more power to represent WA’s 700,000 fishers. 

Click here for more information on Marmion Marine Park and how you can get involved.  

3) What is happening with the new south coast marine park? 

The proposed south coast marine park will span more than 1,000 km of coastline, from east of Bremer Bay to the WA/SA border. It will likely include all beaches and coastal areas up to the high-water mark, save for a small radius around the Esperance townsite covered by Port waters. Plans for this new marine park could be released for public comment as early as October.  

Proper consultation with the south coast community has gone off the rails and we heard widespread concerns firsthand from south coast residents at the boat show that their freedoms such as driving on the beach or bringing their dogs to their favourite fishing spots (which are already restricted on some beach stretches) could be threatened given the DBCA’s track record in park management.  

Fishers care about the environment and we support the principle of marine parks – but they must balance conservation with fishing. Stopping thousands of mums, dads and kids from wetting a line in their favourite fishing spots would be an attack on our West Aussie fishing lifestyle. This will make it even more critical for south coast fishers to have their say when details of the proposed marine park are potentially released for public comment in the coming weeks.  

Click here for more info on what is being planned within the south coast marine park.

Four-wheel-drive access may be restricted across numerous southern coastlines between Bremer Bay and the South Australian border, with potential no fishing sanctuary zones implemented.

4) What are the new rules on safety equipment changes in boats 

We had numerous fishers approach us with questions about The Department of Transport’s new rules and regulations surrounding safety equipment on registered recreational vessels, personal watercraft (PWC), non-registrable yachts/sailing vessels and tenders.  

The length of a vessel will no longer determine how far it can travel from the shore and new laws now require every person to carry a lifejacket while onboard a vessel anywhere in WA. If you’re out on the water in a vessel less than 4.8m long, you must by law now wear a lifejacket at all times. For those with kids aboard, if you’re more than 400 metres offshore in unprotected waters, kids aged between 1-12 years must wear a minimum level 100 life jacket.  

Over the course of a five-year transition, emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB), or personal locator beacons (PLB) will also need to be GPS enabled, along with a move to more reliable VHF and HF radios being required when more than four nautical miles offshore, with the phasing out of 27-MHz radios. 

For a clear rundown of all the new safety equipment rules from The Department of Transport, click here. 

Recfishwest urges everyone to take responsibility for the safety of you and your passengers when out there on the water, because we want everyone to come home safely from a day’s fishing. 

New laws from The Department of Transport now require every person to carry a lifejacket while onboard a vessel anywhere in WA.

5) What are the plans for windfarms off the WA coast?

The area between Perth and Bunbury has been proposed for offshore wind projects (roughly 3-50km offshore and each turbine could be roughly 70-200 metres in height). A two-month long public consultation process begins in November where members of the community can have their say on this proposal.  

The stretch between Perth and Bunbury is likely to be the most realistic scenario if a windfarm is to be developed off our coastline and no other areas in WA are likely to be considered any time soon.

Recfishwest will only support Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) projects that improve recreational fishing experiences with no net loss of amenity – meaning they need to co-exist with fishers with no loss of access. All offshore wind energy projects should also avoid important habitats such as spawning and nursery areas as well as popular fishing locations.  

To read our views on offshore wind energy, click here.  

The area between Perth and Bunbury has been proposed for offshore wind projects (roughly 3-50km offshore) and a two-month long public consultation process begins in November. Photo: Copenhagen Energy.

6) When will Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) be deployed off the WA coastline? 

Plenty of avid fishers who attended the Boat Show wanted to know when the southern-based FADs would once again make a splash given the great fishing opportunities they provide.  

DPIRD are now coordinating and funding a full-time, State-wide FADs program in partnership with Recfishwest until 2026 and based on our discussions with DPIRD, FADs in Jurien Bay, Lancelin, Perth, Rockingham, Mandurah, Cape Naturaliste and Albany are expected to be deployed sometime around late October to early November of this year and be taken out before winter, 2024.   

DPIRD are hoping to deploy the FADs as we transition into warmer temperatures when the pelagic species tend to fire up so the devices can start to accumulate these species to the months-long benefit of boat fishers – watch this space!  

To stay up to date with all FAD deployment statuses and their exact coordinates across WA along with tips on how to fish them – make sure you visit our FADs webpage and keep an eye on the Recfishwest Instagram Page and Recfishwest Facebook Page for announcements of FAD deployments.  

This stunning dolphinfish landed by Chris Webster at one of the FADs located west of Rottnest Island was just one of many great catches earlier this year and late October to early November should see the re-deployment of these devices between Cape Naturaliste and Jurien Bay!

Recfishwest community awards 2019

It’s been a big year for fishing in WA– 300,000 barramundi released in Lake Kununurra, a new State-wide FADs trial and officially evaluating rec fishing as being worth $2.4 billion annually to the W.A. economy – to name just three huge wins.

It’s a good time to reflect on the year and recognise the great contributions of some of the unsung heroes in the recfishing community.

The fishing community is made up of many dedicated, passionate and hardworking people who often don’t get recognised for the tireless work they do. Our recfishing sector benefits  from people standing up for what they believe in, sharing their passion and developing new and innovative ways of promoting the diverse array of fishing experiences we have in WA. With their support and  outstanding contributions, we’re confident the future of WA recfishing looks bright.

It is with great pleasure that the Recfishwest team celebrates individuals and groups within the fishing community who help make fishing better, by recognising them through our inaugural annual Recfishwest Community Awards. The recipients of the awards are as follows:

CLUB, GROUP OR ASSOCIATION RECOGNITION AWARD

This award is in recognition of a club, group or association that are regarded as community champions shaping the fishing future for their local community and making outstanding contributions towards improving fishing experiences. The recipient of this award has proactively searched for new opportunities and continually striven for better fishing opportunities in the hope that locals and visitors can catch that fish of a lifetime, every time.

We would like to congratulate the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group as the recipient of this award for their stocking and tagging efforts over the past year. With the help of North Regional TAFE, these local champions have worked passionately to get more barramundi stocked into Lake Kununurra. The group has also tagged hundreds of barra in the lake to track their growth and development over time to ensure barramundi fishing has a bright future in the East Kimberley.

It is a fitting tribute to the hard work and vision of the local community over the last 20 years that Lake Kununurra is now regarded as a world-class trophy barramundi fishery. Well done to all those involved. Read more about this fishery here.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RECOGNITION AWARD

This award gives recognition for environmental initiatives implemented to support recreational fishing experiences. As environmental sustainability becomes increasingly important for communities and the recreational fishing industry, it’s important we lead the way in sustainable innovation, practices and projects to protect what we all love for future generations to come.

We are thrilled to present this award to Ecotone Consulting for their work on ways to improve the sustainability of WA’s iconic marron fishery through research, breeding and stocking.

The project saw Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre (PFRC) staff capture marron as part of a breeding trial to that released thousands of tiny ‘crayling’ (juvenile marron) into Harvey Dam, a popular recreational marron fishing location. The trial’s success allowed Recfishwest to convince the Government to invest recreational fishing licence fees into stocking 300,000 marron into popular fishing dams over the next three years. This commitment is a huge first step toward the dream we share with the community of giving recfishers and families the opportunity to go marroning every weekend and every school holiday. Read more about the marron stocking projects here and here.

PROJECT RECOGNITION AWARD

This award recognises projects that not only deliver great fishing outcomes for the community but also break new ground through innovation and paves the way for similar projects into the future. Delivering meaningful, innovative and long lasting projects for the community is vital to ensure the ongoing development of our fishing is maintained and enhanced.

The Project Recognition Award goes to Subcon for their outstanding efforts to help drive and deploy Exmouth’s King Reef, Australia’s first Integrated Artificial Reef.

The King Reef project brings together a long held community vision, world-leading engineering solutions and science to benefit the environment and the recreational fishing community of Exmouth. King Reef is now proving to be the fastest developing artificial reef in the country, with over 90 species seen in the reef since it was deployed.

Lead by Matt Allen, Subcon’s passion for artificial reef development is not new to WA, with the Esperance Artificial Reef and the giant Perth Fish Towers also coming under the Subcon brand. By harnessing re-purposed steel structures donated from BHP and augmenting them with purpose-built concrete reef modules, Subcon’s influence on King Reef will provide a legacy for the Exmouth community forever. As national leaders in artificial reef engineering, Subcon has helped provide safe, accessible and enjoyable fishing experiences to local and travelling fishers. Read more about King Reef in the following stories:

King Reef WA’s newest fishing playground

First look 28 species in 28 days

40 species seen on Exmouth’s newest fishing playground

Check out the red emperor of Exmouth’s King Reef

FISHING EVENT RECOGNITION AWARD

This award recognises a WA-hosted event which demonstrates growth and agility towards an ever changing and growing recreational fishing sector. The event must significantly contribute to the regional economy by being a major draw-card for the region and attempts to cater for varying levels of fishing abilities.

This award is being presented to Carnar-fin, one of WA’s premier fishing events, held in Carnarvon each year and organised by the Carnarvon Chamber of Commerce. Carnar-fin is an annual fishing competition open to recreational fishers of all skill levels, and has been held in the last week of May since its inception in 1992.

The competition attracts a wide range of fishers from the region and around the state and injects an estimated $600,000 into the Carnarvon economy every year.

The event is different from many others in the sense that all fish that are to be weighed in have to be gutted, gilled and in good condition. This ensures that any fish caught and weighed in, is then not wasted and remains in good eating condition. This is a great example of fishers demonstrating best practice with their catch.

The event is sponsored and supported by a large number of local businesses, highlighting the importance of the event and the value these sponsors see in Carnar-fin to the town and to the region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD

The Recfishwest Community Champion Award recognises an outstanding individual who demonstrates leadership and commitment towards the betterment of recreational fishing in their local community.

It is with great pleasure we congratulate Steve Riley – Co-owner of Exmouth Tackle and Camping Supplies, for his exceptional work to make fishing better in Exmouth, particularly in his hard work to push for an artificial reef to provide safe accessible and enjoyable fishing for small boats, families and tourists within the Exmouth Gulf.

For those of you who have travelled to Exmouth to enjoy the great outdoors, or have had the opportunity to have a go at the variety of great fishing opportunities, you’ve probably run into Steve – known as one of Exmouth’s great fishing characters.

Steve lives and breathes fishing. But most important is Steve’s enthusiasm to share his fishing knowledge and encourage everyone to have a go at the great fishing that Exmouth coastline has to offer.

Steve has been awarded the Community Champion award for his exceptional work in all facets of the King Reef Artificial Reef Project in Exmouth. Steve championed for a reef many years ago, and gained local support, applied for funding, and provided local advice on the best location for the reef. Now he is actively involved in the Exmouth Reef Vision monitoring program for King Reef and provides on ground support to volunteers.

Recfishwest would like to once again congratulate the recipients of the 2019 Recfishwest Recognition Awards and we thank them for the contributions they’ve made toward recreational fishing. 

 

Recfishwest’s Community Grant Program Round 10 – applications now open

The Recfishwest community grant program is designed to enable community-based groups to undertake projects that provide a benefit to recreational fishing in their local area.

This program directly supports communities to undertake a wide range of projects. To see what was funded through the Recfishwest community grants program in Round 9 click here.

The “snag it tag it” program is  funded through the community grants program

The grants are available to a maximum of $8,000 for each applicant although preference will be given to applications under $5,000.

Applications which demonstrate the support of local recreational fishers will rank highly.

This scheme is funded using recreational fishing licence fees through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund.

Recfishwest Community Grant Program Application Form – Round 10

Recfishwest Community Grant Program Guidelines – Round 10

Applications open: Friday, 27 September

Applications close: Midnight Friday, 22 November

Ocean Park Aquarium received a grant to go toward two days of diving to clean up Steep Point.

Great GAMEX fishing benefits Gascoyne community

The week long GAMEX competition held by the Exmouth Game Fishing Club’s (EGFC) from March 16-24 brought thousands of visitors once again to the regional town of Exmouth.

As one of the biggest fishing competitions in Australia, GAMEX provides significant benefits back to the local community, including in influx of visitors associated with the event.

The importance of events such as this to local communities can not be underestimated, with previous GAMEX events having injected more than $1 million into the local economy in just over a week that competitors and their families spend in town.

Opportunities for tourism and marketing around fishing events are enormous and can reap huge rewards for small coastal communities.

“We see people hiring a car, filling up at the petrol station, driving out to their accommodation, dining in local restaurants and heading out on the water, stocking up on their bait and tackle supply beforehand,” Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said.

“WA is renowned for quality recreational fishing experiences and with more than 266 fishers in this year’s event, it demonstrates once again the important contribution the EGFC provides to the Exmouth Community.”

Exmouth Tackle Word Owner Jeni Gates said that events such as GAMEX have highlighted the quality of fishing available in Exmouth to an international community.

“Some of the numbers of billfish we have seen caught and released during GAMEX over the past few years combined with the 1084lb blue marlin caught earlier this year has really put Exmouth on the map as a world class billfish destination,” Jeni said.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve seen an influx of anglers from all around the world. Earlier this year we had multiple families visit form South East Asia who all came with the intent of tangling with a big Marlin.”

GAMEX also highlights just how important fishing is to the social fabric of small coastal communities.

Fishing continues to provide significant health and wellbeing benefits in many small coastal communities in WA, and fishing events such as GAMEX continue to promote the quality of fishing experiences available on our doorstep.

Recfishwest looks forward to being a part of GAMEX 2019 and congratulates the EGFC and Exmouth community on pulling together such a beneficial event.

Recfishwest and community working together to improve your fishing

Recfishwest Community Grants Scheme – Round 7

Recfishwest is proud of the annual Recfishwest community grant scheme. This scheme is an opportunity for community groups to apply for funding to support community projects that make fishing better in WA.

Applications for Round 7 of the Recfishwest community grant scheme came from a broad range of community groups including fishing clubs and associations, health care providers, sea rescue groups, local government, environmental groups, men’s sheds and disability advocates.

There were some fantastic applications for fun, exciting and innovative ways to improve fishing experiences. Recfishwest takes great pleasure in providing community groups with the opportunities to make some dreams a reality, and we respect and acknowledge that often these small community groups have the ability to stretch a dollar much further than anyone could think possible.

The partnerships Recfishwest builds with community groups are equally valuable for us in supporting and hearing the wishes of the fishing community and ultimately working together for the goal of making fishing better for West Australians.

Recipients of Recfishwest Community Grant scheme – Round 7 funding include:

1. Mandalay Holiday Resort – To continue their popular family fishing event
2. Fervor – A seafood cook book utilising native Australian bush herbs and spices to complement our local seafood.
3. Fremantle Sailing club – To promote their Calamari Classic event alongside an educational workshop to support the occasion.
4. Fishability – Funding to assist in improving their wheelchair friendly fishing vessel the Nev Thomas.
5. Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club – To once again support their highly successfully Kid’s Whiting Competition during the school holidays.
6. The Australian National Sportfishing Association WA Inc – Modernising the way in which they collect data for their West Tag program.
7. Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club – To continue the ever popular Family Fishing Fun Day, fishing education and safety as well as improving rock fishing safety infrastructure.
8. Albany Offshore Boating and Fishing Club – Support for their Easter rock fishing safety campaigning at Salmon Holes.
9. Esperance Land Based Fishing Club – A grant has been awarded to help build their annual fishing event.
10. Greenhead Men’s Shed – These local champions have received a grant to go towards the cost of designing, obtaining approvals and construction of a fish cleaning station for the local boat ramp.
11. Surfcasting and Angling Club of WA – The purchase of safety equipment and life jackets for dry casting days and fishing field days.
12. WA Underwater Club – Funding to educate on safe and effective practice for freedivers and spearfishers including regional representation and training course subsidies.
13. Breast Cancer Care WA – Continued support for the Purple Fly Fishing program providing the opportunity for those profoundly affected by breast cancer to enjoy the experience of fly fishing in a serene natural setting.

Mandalay Holiday Resort owner Clive Johnson and previous Recfishwest Community Grant recipient said: “The owners and staff of Mandalay Holiday Resort would like to thank Recfishwest for making some funds available to sponsor this great event (Mandalay Family Fishing Competition 2015/16). It was great to see kids get such a thrill for catching their first fish and making fishing available to so many families.”

Recfishwest continues to support local community ventures, and commend all the fantastic work and initiative taken by the community to date, completed through these grants.

Purple Fly Fishing

This year Recfishwest and Breast Cancer Care WA ran a specialised ‘Purple Fly Fishing’ weekend for clients recovering from breast cancer.  The weekend was held in Manjimup on October 16, 17 and 18 with 19 breast cancer clients, accompanied by support staff from Breast Cancer Care WA, descending on the beautiful surrounds of the South West to partake in a spot of fly fishing.

Funded through a Recfishwest Community Grant, the Purple Fly Fishing weekend aims to offer these women the opportunity to gain a reprieve from the challenges of breast cancer, while also teaching them the art of fly fishing.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said the weekend offers participants a hands-on introduction to fly fishing and an opportunity to get outdoors while learning a unique form of fishing that can aid in their recovery.

“This weekend provides the opportunity for women affected by breast cancer to develop friendships and support networks with other participants and hopefully catch a few fish as they learn the basics of fly fishing” Dr Rowland said.

Breast Cancer Care WA Chief Executive Officer Zoe McAlpine said Breast Cancer Care WA are so grateful to Recfishwest for this opportunity to provide a wonderful experience for our clients going through breast cancer.

“The chance to get away for the weekend, learn a new skill in fly fishing and to focus purely on themselves and their journey is so valuable” Mrs McAlpine said.

“This year in Western Australia it is expected that over 1,500 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and we aim to be there to support every person diagnosed – thanks to the generosity of Recfishwest and the community this is made possible.”

Studies have shown that the casting motion of fly fishing, is similar to recovery exercises prescribed for women who’ve undergone surgery or radiation treatment.  In addition to the physical benefits for participants, the gentle casting motion helps to promote soft tissue stretching and improve joint mobility for women recovering from surgery and those managing lymphedema.

Recfishwest has conducted similar fishing clinics in the past (Pink Fly Fishing Clinics) for women affected by breast cancer which has been hugely popular.
Additional Information:

Why purple and fly fishing? Each year in Australia over 13,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one in eight women in Australia will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Breast Cancer CareWA is a Western Australian charity that provides personalised emotional, practical and financial support to people affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Care WA receive no government funding and their activities are entirely reliant on the generosity of the Western Australian community. They are famous for the charity event Purple Bra Day, raising funds and awareness for breast cancer clients.

For more on Breast Cancer Care WA: http://www.breastcancer.org.au/