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Dr Andrew Rowland, Recfishwest CEO, and Operations Officer Sam Bock were recently on the south coast listening to the concerns of local fishers about the potential impact of DBCA’s proposed marine park.
Stretching along 1,000 km of coastline from Bremer Bay to the WA/SA border, many local fishers told Andrew and Sam that the marine park already has a predefined political outcome and will be an unnecessary overreach coming out of Perth.
These concerns have been stoked by the bad publicity surrounding the consultation process to date.
While there, Andrew was also in the news on the front page of the Esperance Weekender and was on ABC Esperance, Goldfields, Mid-West and Wheatbelt calling for the consultation process to get back on track to enable a balanced outcome to be achieved.
Recfishwest CEO DR Andrew Rowland has been busy in the media while hearing concerns from local fishers on the south coast marine park.
It’s that time of year again! Freshwater fishers in WA are bursting with excitement to whet their whistles and chase some hard-fighting trout and delicious redfin perch.
Late winter to early spring traditionally marks the start of WA’s freshwater season, when the water is cooler and stream flows are at optimum levels. Thanks to the many safe and easily accessible locations to throw a lure or fly around, WA boasts many freshwater fishing locations to choose from.
With the west coast demersal closure running from 1 August – 22 September, fishers keen to scratch their fishing itch need to look no further than the serenity of our South-West forests, where the sound of kookaburras and flowing streams are sometimes only interrupted by the splash of a hooked fish.
The exciting future for freshwater fishing in WA
Recfishwest’s Freshwater Reference Committee works closely with DPIRD’s Aquatic Freshwater Research and Development team in ensuring WA’s trout stocking program delivers maximum benefits to the WA community.
Each year, the committee makes recommendations to DPIRD on what quantities of trout should be stocked where in South-West waterways.
In this context, Recfishwest recently spoke with DPIRD Senior Research Scientist Andrew Beer for his insight into what is in store for the stocking of rainbow and brown trout and the upcoming freshwater season – and there is plenty to look forward to.
“We are making big technological advancements within not just the Pemberton hatchery centre but also to our stocking transportation vehicles. It will soon see more fish stocked per trip, state-of-the-art temperature and oxygen regulation and improved handling of the fish between the hatchery to their new stocking locations – watch this space!” said Andrew.
If the rains fall consistently over the coming months as they did over the previous months, the improved waters levels in the dams and flows in the rivers and streams could see a rewarding freshwater season.
“If we have a consistently wet winter that rolls through right into spring, that generally sees very good freshwater catches. The previous months have been beneficial with a steady amount of rainfall and that should benefit fishers as we head towards warmer temperatures,” added Andrew.
Recfishwest will continue to make a strong case to Government for the development and expansion of the South-West freshwater fishery.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “The fishery provides significant social value to the community and generates $20 million a year for the South-West. We believe there is massive potential for expanding the trout stocking program and fishery.
“Changing up the stocking regime, putting in place a more robust research program associated with it, exploring new potential freshwater and trout fishing locations and potential stocking of Aussie natives could evolve and secure the fishery well into the future and could take pressure off some of our other fisheries.
“With the Government’s renewed commitment to the Pemberton hatchery and the fishery last year, there are potentially exciting times ahead for this popular, family-friendly fishery.”
Technological advancements made within the Pemberton trout hatchery and to DPIRD’s trout stocking vehicles will soon see more fish like this beautiful ‘brownie’ transported to stocking locations in better comfort with a reduction in manual handling.
Clear your calendar for our 2023 trout stocking events!
As champions of developing and promoting freshwater fishing in WA, Recfishwest provides the community the chance to hand-release trout into these waterways at our community stocking events.
So, we are excited to announce the two dates of our family-friendly trout stocking events for 2023.
Our seventh annual Troutfest community event will take place on 21 October at Drakesbrook Weir, with the Shire of Waroona and the DPIRD Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre teaming up with Recfishwest once again to help stock loads more rainbow and brown trout with the community.
After a huge turnout for our inaugural Pemberton Trout Festival event in 2022, the event will also be making a return to Big Brook Dam foreshore on 5 November.
Recfishwest’s Troutfest events will return to Drakesbrook Weir on 21 October, with the second Pemberton Trout Festival making a splash on 5 November at Big Brook Dam.
Freshwater fishing tips from an angling expert
Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer and resident freshwater fishing gun, Sam Russell, divulged some of his trout and redfin tips for the months ahead.
Best spots
“The South-West’s bushlands are the best place to start chasing both trout species and redfin perch.
“I fish a wide range of locations from Dwellingup all the way down to Walpole, but my favourite freshwater spot would have to be Pemberton. It hosts so many impoundments, streams and rivers among the isolated Karri forests.
“Harvey Dam, Wellington Dam or Drakesbrook Weir are also fantastic options and these large bodies of water are filled with all three species. They also offer great camping opportunities for fishing trips with family or friends.”
Top gear and fishing tips
“Target rainbow and brown trout using small, bibbed minnows – rainbow and brown trout patterns both work well due to the cannibalistic nature of the species.
“I’ll also carry a couple of darker coloured lures for overcast days and low light conditions – it might seem counter-intuitive, but black lures create a prominent silhouette in the water in these conditions. Soft plastics can also be the go.
“If I’m fishing in tight streams and rivers with a lot of structure, an unweighted, weedless rigged plastic will often keep you snag-free and get you the bite. Small 1 or 2-inch minnow style plastics with a paddle or grub tail in natural colour patterns will work.
“If you’re chasing redfin perch, I almost exclusively fish with soft plastics using a weedless jighead ranging in weight from about 1/16th – 1/8th of an ounce depending on water depth and flow. Combine this with a 2-inch grub tail or marron imitation soft plastic and you’re in business.
“Fly-fishing is an iconic freshwater angling method I love but may seem daunting to learn for most fishers. No stress though, light spin outfits used for bream or herring are just as effective. Sometimes it pays to keep things simple.”
Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell with a fat and healthy rainbow trout landed near Pemberton.
Following Government fishery management changes, dozens of charter operators are facing the prospect of losing their businesses in the coming months with fishers aboard their vessels no longer able to fish for demersal fish like dhufish and pink snapper in the West Coast Bioregion (WCB – from Kalbarri down to Augusta) from 1 July.
This will significantly reduce opportunities for people with no boats or small boats to safely experience the joy of fishing for quality bottom fish in the WCB on board a charter boat or on “live-aboard” charter trips to locations like the Abrolhos.
Each year, 72,000 members of the WA community go on charter fishing trips, helping the sector employ 831 people while generating $110 million in economic activity. The WCB accounts for 40 per cent of all charter fishing trips and west coast demersal fish are the lifeblood of charter fishing in this area.
Charter fishing is responsible for only 12 per cent of total demersal catches in the WCB. Like the recreational fishing sector though, charter operators have been told to slash their catches. A tag system has been introduced for the charter sector whereby operators are issued with a limited number of tags by DPIRD with one tag allowing the capture of one demersal fish.
This week, the 99 charter fishing licence holders in the WCB learnt how many tags they were each going to get and, therefore, the total amount of demersal fish fishers on board their boats can catch in a year. In a bitter blow, 78 of the 99 licence holders have been told they will receive ZERO tags, destroying the value of their licence and meaning that in less than four weeks they face the real prospect of going out of business.
For the 21 licence holders who did receive tags, they are looking at a 73 per cent reduction in their allowable catch, a significantly bigger cut than the 59 per cent recreational fishers and the 12 per cent commercial fishers must cut their demersal catches by.
The 78 licence holders who were not allocated any tags were told they didn’t meet the allocation criteria approved by the Minister. These criteria were solely focused on catch history and based on catching at least 355 fish in three of the last five years, effectively penalising small operators focused on providing great fishing experiences rather than catching large amounts of fish.
This allocation model will leave some popular coastal towns like Dongara, Port Denison and many others without any charter fishing opportunities for locals and tourists and has left 78 families facing an unsure future. Unlike for commercial fishers, the Government has not offered a voluntary scheme to buy back charter licences providing a dignified and manageable exit from the fishery. Instead, the Government is offering those that did get tags up to $20,000 in grants and those that didn’t get any tags $5,000.
Great demersal fishing experiences and memories of a lifetime could soon be a thing of the past on many WA fishing charter businesses, with 78 of 99 WA-based charters not receiving tags to catch iconic species such as pink snapper and dhufish. Photo credit: Al Bevan/Shikari Charters.
A clearly broken process
“To offer $5,000 is cold comfort when licence values have likely just fallen by ten times that amount,” said Recfishwest Operations Manager Leyland Campbell. “The tag allocation process completely fails to factor in the valuable service provided by the charter sector, getting the most from each fish and doing what’s right and fair.”
“It’s clearly broken – while the Government has told charter businesses to diversify, it is not realistic or reasonable to expect charter operations to completely change their business model in just four weeks. With the inevitable cancellations of customer booking, many family businesses will not survive. The Minister should go back to the drawing board and give the charter sector a fair-go.”
Marine Tourism WA President Matt Howard also attacked the Government’s decision.
“The charter sector has demonstrated excellent economic and social use of the fish they catch generating significantly more economic activity and employing more people from a relatively small number of fish than other sectors do from ten times as many fish. The Minister has never provided a reasonable explanation as to why 6,000 demersal tags is an appropriate amount for a sector that generates such significant social and economic value.”
Speaking on 6PR, DPIRD’s Aquatic Resource Director Nathan Harrison, whose department has overseen the changes, said the west coast demersal commercial licence buyback scheme may free up more fish to be allocated to the charter sector – but not for several months.
“[The buyback scheme] will provide an opportunity at the end of the year to see how much of the commercial entitlement has been surrendered,” said Nathan. “It will be voluntary, so we don’t know, but that will then provide an opportunity to Government to see how these savings are best utilised and if any of that will flow onto the charter sector.”
The end of the year will be too late, though, for many charter operators, said Leyland.
“Once these charter businesses close down, there will be no coming back for them,” said Leyland. “It makes complete sense for the Government to hold off on this decision for six months until we see how much more fish may be available to be allocated to the charter and recreational sectors, following the outcome of the commercial licence buy-back scheme. Surely, the Government can wait before making the call that will shut down dozens of family businesses?”
Smaller operators being squeezed out
Few have done more for the protection of demersal fish than Al Bevan, who has operated Shikari Charters out of Perth since 1996.
Al is an active member of the WA fishing community and has assisted with important fisheries research for DPIRD for decades. This included work on barotrauma of demersal fish and testing of the release weight, a concept conceived by Al and Gary Lilly which has saved countless thousands of demersal fish. He also served on the Recfishwest Board from 2001-2007. In addition, Al pioneered the Samson fish fishery in Perth and has been a fishing safety ambassador for a Government-funded fishing safety campaign.
Al purposefully aims to have a low impact on fish stocks, catering for families and smaller groups of between five-seven fishers. He has also built up a steady overseas client list who visit WA purely for the safe and exciting fishing experiences Al provides.
“I thought I was doing the right thing with sustainability and following the Department’s guidelines and slogan ‘fish for the future’ – but it now looks like Shikari has no future,” said Al.
“There is absolutely no fairness in the Ministers’ decision – I’ve tried to give back throughout my entire fishing career, but I feel like I’m being discriminated against because I’m focused on maximizing fishing experiences and getting the most value from each fish rather than simply cramming lots of people on a boat and catching lots of fish.”
Al Bevan has spent decades doing the right thing by being sustainable on his fishing charters for countless WA families and overseas visitors, yet his business is staring down the barrel after he was allocated no tags.
Al said his colleagues in the charter sector had received the news of being allocated zero tags with “absolute horror” and are dreading the arrival of July.
Leyland said, “As a stalwart of the charter fishing industry who has done more to protect demersal fish than nearly anyone else, it is beyond belief that Al has not been allocated any tags. This clearly highlights the flaws in the allocation model.”
Al and his wife are seriously concerned about the viability of the business no longer being able to take clients out to fish for pink snapper and dhufish. “I’ve got no idea what I’ll do. Financially, I’ve only got enough money in the business accounts to pay the bills for a few months, and from there I really don’t know. And I don’t owe as much as some of these bigger boats, they will be sweating buckets.
“I have international clients scheduled for July who I will now have call and cancel. These clients would have spent a week in Perth spending thousands of dollars on food, accommodation and fishing gear just to catch one good fish and now they will go elsewhere. The value each fish creates should have been a consideration when deciding who receives a tag, not just the volume of fish caught.”
Happier times. Al Bevan pictured with overseas tourists who spend thousands of dollars annually travelling to WA to experience our unique fishing experiences.
Penalised for having a family
Another Charter operator who was not allocated any tags is Kristin McCarthy, owner of Seaestar Charters.
Kristin is the only female charter operation owner and master in the WCB – her business employs a full-time skipper, three full-time deckhands, two casual fish guides, a casual bus driver, a full-time engineer/mechanic, an admin assistant and a part-time truck driver – all of whom now have the prospect of losing their jobs hanging over their head.
Kristin was highly critical of the requirement to demonstrate catches in three of the last five years not only because two of those years were affected by COVID, but also because it discriminates against her for having a family.
“I would like to know how is this equitable as a straight across the board process, when it does not allow for operators to show why in some periods, they had lower numbers of catches despite being a full-time operator. For example, in 2020 I had a baby, and, in this period, I limited my fishing for medical reasons and ended up shutting down some of it while I had my child.
“Our fishing represents the majority of our income and we are booked out to 2026, with clients that have already paid. The cash flow crisis this causes will be the end. One would think that in trying to achieve fish stock recovery those that offer different experiences and sustainable fishing models would be of the up most importance and should have got some allowance.”
Kristin McCarthy, owner of Seaestar Charters, is the only female charter operation owner and master in the west coast bioregion, yet she has received no tags and her business along with the jobs of her 11 staff members are all under threat.
Providing a fishing experience for all
Another charter operator allocated zero tags was Damien Billi from Big Stoinka Marine Adventures.
Damien’s charter journey was inspired by his autistic daughter who loves fishing. Operating in the South-West, Damien ’s boat Reel Therapy has been specially modified to accommodate wheelchairs and carers and offers smaller charters for people with special needs who are not comfortable with big crowds.
“There is one little boy who comes out fishing probably three to four times a year and his mother says that experience settles him for months,” said Damien “This is the sort of positive difference I want to make. I don’t want to catch lots of fish, I just want a viable business that allows me to make a real difference for those that need it most.”
As seen here on Damian Billi’s Big Stoinka Marine Adventures, his boat Reel Therapy can easily cater for people requiring wheelchair access or those with special needs. Despite this, Damian was another West Aussie charter operator who proudly gives back to the community and didn’t receive tags from the Government.
Providing a sustainable experience
Yet another charter operator to not be allocated any tags is Ocean Addiction Charters – the only charter business based in Dongara/Port Denison. Kate and Dan took the plunge and started a business their town has been needing and wanting for so long. Their 8m boat can take a maximum of six people, posing no threat to fish stocks.
“Our business has satisfied the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard and has sustainable tourism accreditation, however, we are not being given the opportunity to demonstrate how sustainable we are, even though we are the ONLY fishing charter in the area.”
People should not be penalised for starting a family, providing people of all abilities the opportunity to fish from a boat or maximising the value of each fish. These are things we should be celebrating. A six-month delay won’t impact on stock sustainability and it may just save dozens of family businesses from shutting down.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction’s (DBCA’s) marine park on the south coast has been in the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons.
From shire council presidents, to leading members of the marine park’s Community Reference Committee (CRC), to community engagement officers, a growing chorus of voices have publicly criticised the direction the planning process has taken in the last few months (see some of their comments in the news and on social media below).
“There is mounting concern that our freedom to fish beaches and offshore areas prized by generations of south coast residents and visitors is on the line, “ said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “With our own experiences of it to date, we share the community’s concerns that the planning process for the marine park has gone sideways.”
Many highly cherished fishing spots that are accessible by four wheel drive between Bremer Bay and the South Australian border could soon be off limits due to new sanctuary zones in this region. Photo: Michael Renton
Fishing community input appears ignored
As part of what was promised to be an open, transparent and genuine consultation process, Recfishwest was requested to provide a clear understanding of the fishing areas and experiences valued highly by recreational fishers.
Through a series of community meetings and survey feedback from hundreds of south coast fishers a data-driven picture of the places that matter most to fishers was generated by Recfishwest.
“We have provided this detailed feedback to DBCA, yet this input appears to have been completely ignored,” said Andrew. “In the interests of an informed and transparent consultation process, it would be entirely reasonable to expect to see a comprehensive social economic impact assessment of a marine park on the region. Yet, despite claims made in Parliament that one has been undertaken, we have seen no evidence that this is the case.”
The need for balance
Fishing and camping along south coast beaches with friends, family and your dog is part and parcel of the south coast community’s cultural and social fabric. Recfishwest strongly advocates that these activities must be conserved in any marine park along with the marine environment that supports them.
“The establishment of a marine park along the south coast must be balanced and should not deprive local communities from accessing popular fishing locations and beaches and all the well-being, family, social and economic benefits they provide to the local community,” said Andrew.
If you care about the south coast marine environment and enjoy fishing between Bremer Bay and the SA/WA boarder, it is important to have your say on the proposals once they are released for public comment. We’ll be keeping our community up to date on future developments.
Casting lures at salmon schools off pristine south coast beaches like this one is the kind of fishing experience that must be conserved in marine parks. Photo: Western Angler/Scott Coghlan.
South coast marine park – community views in the news
Esperance Shire President Ian Mickel said a poorly designed park could “radically change the economic, tourism, industry and community landscape of the region.”
“The stress felt by our fishing families at this time is huge…we have also raised awareness of the mental health impact this process is taking on fishing businesses and the community.”
Local resident and Community Reference Committee member Dr Kristen Perks, a respected marine biologist, took to social media to give her view on the planning process to date.
Dr Perks says DBCA ignored the input of DPIRD, their joint planning partner, in draft plans for the park put forward to the CRC for comment.
Dr Perks said, “It is unfortunate and disappointing DPIRD’s recommendations were not taken into account by DBCA. In my view DPIRD’s draft zoning recommendations had recognised and respected the socio-economic values of our local community and provided a good balance between conservation, recreation and commercial fishers.
“I believe with a marine park boundary spanning 1,000km from Bremer Bay to the South Australian border, SURELY, we can come up with a good compromise to enable marine sustainability whilst delivering the least impact on industry and the community’s ability to enjoy our local waters.
“I am prepared (and hopefully everyone is as well) to get on my soapbox to ensure we get balance for all parties and create a Marine Park we can all be proud of.”
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South coast fishing stalwart and popular YouTuber Gideon Mettam – usually a moderate voice on fishing matters – has also fired up on his channels about the way he fears things might be going.
“Usually, I want nothing to do with all this political stuff, but this is too much. You all ought to have an idea of what’s going on ahead of time, so you’re ready to tell them where to shove their unnecessary sanctuary zones that will prevent us from enjoying the already pristine south coast.”
A petition, organised by Esperance local recreational fisher Neil Pechar, has already amassed more than 2,800 signatures at the time of writing.
“We feel if we don’t speak up the Government will just run with it and we will lose a lot of our fishing areas and lifestyle which is pretty important for us in Esperance,” Neil told the ABC.
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The Esperance Weekender recently reported the contract of the Esperance-based DBCA community engagement officer, hired to liaise with and help inform the community, was not renewed moving into the critical community consultation phase of the planning process.
“I feel disappointed and sorry that the broader community voice may not be heard as effectively as it should be going forward,” said the engagement officer. “There was every expectation that my role was for the entirety of the marine park planning process as clearly articulated in the Community Engagement Strategy endorsed by the former Minister.”
The Geraldton and Mid-West fishing community is relieved to hear that, following Recfishwest’s constructive discussions with the Fisheries Minister, the bag limit for popular large pelagic species like mackerel and tuna has been reinstated back to three fish around the Abrolhos Islands.
The initial revised daily bag limit down to one large pelagic fish around the Abrolhos was announced as part of the package of new west coast demersal fishing rule changes announced by the Minister in December last year.
The bag limit change had left many Mid-West fishers bewildered and disappointed, given there are no sustainability concerns around these fast-growing pelagic species which are highly abundant around the Abrolhos.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “The Minister has made a sensible decision to reinstate the original daily bag limit back to three large pelagic finfish.
“We are glad that the Minister listened to us and common sense has prevailed. Recfishwest is now looking forward to seeing fishers rightfully enjoy the full benefits of the pelagic sportfishing opportunities available throughout the Abrolhos Islands.
“Generations of fishers have travelled to the Islands for the fantastic sportfishing opportunities on offer, so this is great news. We are glad to see DPIRD has now clarified the reinstatement of the original three large pelagic fish bag limit on their website and in the online version of their fishing rules booklet.
“This change was also inconsistent with the overall push to develop greater sportfishing opportunities to support the recovery of demersal scalefish species along the west coast.”
With the latest revision, it also means charter operators and their customers can rightfully enjoy the full sportfishing opportunities on offer throughout the islands during the April-May period, which is one of the most popular times of the year for visitors to travel to the region and wet a line in the hopes of catching one of these hard-fighting pelagic species.
A spokesperson for the Minister’s Office told the Geraldton Guardian, “A bag limit of three large pelagic finfish has been reinstated following feedback provided by Recfishwest about how the reduced bag limit was impacting the recreational fishing experience at the Abrolhos Islands.”
“The reduction was originally introduced as part of a new wilderness fishing concept at the Abrolhos Islands and not due to sustainability concerns.”
The Abrolhos Islands are teeming with pelagic finfish species such as this wahoo, landed by this fisher onboard Blue Juice Charters.
What an awesome turn-out for Snapper Guardians 2023 – with the biggest crowd in the event’s history coming down to help us release juvenile pink snapper into Cockburn Sound!
What’s more it kicked off a ‘super-stocking’ week which has seen 40,000 juvenile pink snapper and 15,000 yellowtail king fish released into metro waters in less than seven days!
With COVID unfortunately disrupting the community attendance at the event in 2021 and 2022, Recfishwest was delighted to see hundreds of fishing families turn up to roll up their sleeves and help release 5,000 juvenile pinkies to show how much they value this iconic species, the Sound and the fantastic fishing experiences it supports on Perth’s doorstep.
A big Recfishwest thanks to the 400+ attendees that helped us release 5,000 juvenile pink snapper into Cockburn Sound for Snapper Guardians 2023!
This was followed by another 35,000 pink snapper released between Fremantle Sailing Club and the Cockburn Power Boats Club earlier this week, while 15,000 yellowtail kingfish were also released on Wedneday between the same locations to spice up future fishing experiences in metro waters.
“The fantastic response we had to Snapper Guardians 2023 shows the community’s care and passion for Cockburn Sound and the fantastic, safe, accessible fishery it supports is stronger than ever before,” said CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “A big shout out to everyone who came down from the community to support this year’s event.”
“Fishing is always better when the fish are biting and we don’t just want to see sustainable fisheries – we want abundant ones. That’s why it’s great to see the Government’s commitment to fish stocking initiatives like the pink snapper and yellowtail kingfish programs.
Check out the behind-the-scenes footage from the DPIRD Fremantle hatchery and the kingie cannon firing new yellowtail kingfish into their new home on the YouTube link below!
“We want to see more of this in the future and a well-developed scientific monitoring program that can give us a better understanding of the effectiveness and potential scalability of these popular iniativies,” added Andrew.
A big Recfishwest shout out also to the team from DPIRD’s Fremantle hatchery, who collected the pink snapper eggs in early November of 2022, hatched and reared the pinkies in their aquaculture tanks through the most vulnerable stage of their lives, before transporting the 90-day-old fish down to Jervoise Bay, Woodman Point for release into their new home.
The team at DPIRD’s Fremantle hatchery collected the pink snapper eggs back in November of 2022, hatched and reared them until they reached 90-days-of-age and transported 5,000 down to Cockburn Sound for release during Snapper Guardians!
We would also like to thank our community fish stocking partners Daiwa, for helping us make this event possible.
Rest assured, with the State Government promising more funding and support for future stocking events such as Snapper Guardians, we will ensure this great event continues for many years to come and becomes even bigger and better.
Were you one of the Snapper Guardians who rolled up your sleeves over the weekend? Check out some of the action and big smiles from our latest event below and thank you to all attendees who put on the bathers and snorkels to help make the 2023 Snapper Guardians event one for the ages.
Redclaw might look and taste similar to their delicious southern freshwater cousins, but unlike marron they are not native to Western Australia and are classified as a pest species.
Not only are they invasive, but they are also exceptionally adaptable to tough environments with the ability to survive out of the water for up to 48 hours. It means they can move freely and modify river environments including physical habitats, food-web structures and water quality, while displacing native species through predation and competition.
It is why Recfishwest is targeting increased recreational fishing opportunities for redclaw to manage and monitor the spread of this crayfish, providing recfishers with better education on the species and improved measures on catching them, so they can do their part to help the environment with the added incentive of taking home a delicious feed!
Redclaw crayfish can survive out of the water for 48 hours, moving freely and taking over fresh waterways with a broad diet that limits the resources for native WA species.
“Recfishwest believes a more coordinated approach is needed in WA to help stem the distribution and impact of redclaw. The two key components of a new approach are better community education and allowing more fishers to target redclaw while reducing the chances of by-catch of other native species,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“We are making the case to DPIRD to legalise effective, wildlife-friendly fishing gear for redclaw for more northern regions of WA which which avoids the entrapment of fish, turtles or other native animals throughout the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley regions.”
“This would be a win-win scenario as recreational fishers can target a delicious species while directly reducing the ecological impacts of redclaw through these northern freshwater ecosystems.”
Recfishwest will continue to keep the recreational fishing community updated of any changes in regulations for redclaw crayfish fishing throughout our Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley regions. If you catch redclaw, send pictures to DPIRD and make note of when and where you caught it, including GPS coordinates if possible.
Please dispatch all the redclaw you catch and do not return any to the water or move them around to other locations. If you catch redclaw, the FishWatch number to report them is 1800 815 507, or people can email aquatic.biosecurity@dpird.wa.gov.au.
Recfishwest is pushing for an increase in fishing opportunities for redclaw while reducing by-catch to limit their impact on the environment and providing recreational fishers with a five-star quality feed.
Redclawfact file
Growing up to 25 centimetres in length with a mottled blue-green colouration, they are tolerant of a wide variety of habitats, from fast flowing rivers to still billabongs. The females are also able to spawn up to 1,000 eggs multiple times per year, meaning the population can multiply rapidly and become self-sustaining.
They eat a wide variety of prey including small aquatic invertebrates, molluscs and aquatic plants. This diverse diet means native north-western aquatic animals such as fish and turtles are competing with redclaw for food.
As a result, it is recommended redclaw crayfish are not to be released if caught.
They are widely considered a freshwater delicacy with the texture and flavour of their flesh compared favourably with other marine crustaceans, with their sweet-flavoured meat containing low levels of fat, cholesterol, and salt.
Over the past two decades, redclaw crayfish have rapidly spread west from their natural habitat of north-east Queensland and the Northern Territory. They are now distributed throughout a number of sites in the Pilbara region, including the Karijini and Millstream National Parks, the Fortescue River, Newman and Lake Kununurra. They have also been detected in the Harding Dam near Karratha.
Redclaw are rapidly moving across Western Australia, with catches reported as far west as Karratha and as far south as Newman. To see the current WA distribution and catch regulations for redclaw, visit the DPIRD website.
The four dates of the upcoming West Coast abalone season have been announced, so get ready to get geared up for abs!
Over the upcoming summer season, recreational abalone fishing will take place over one-hour sessions on four Saturday mornings between December and February.
The more than 17,000 licensed abalone fishers will be able to fish between 7am-8am on:
Saturday 10 December 2022
Saturday 14 January 2023
Saturday 4 February 2023
Saturday 18 February 2023
Enjoy safe abalone fishing by being across safe gear and abalone fishing practices.
Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) volunteers are on standby each year to provide condition forecasts for the abalone season and keep fishers safe.
Abalone fishers either dive or scan shallow reefs on foot searching for them. Rough conditions and wearing the wrong gear (pictured right) often not mixing well.
Assessing the risks to keep fishers safe
Investing in the right gear for abalone fishing is not only safer, but it also increases your odds of catching them while keeping your caught abalone fresh.
Make sure you keep an eye on the forecasts and check RLSWA’s tips for abalone fishing to ensure you come home safe with a full bag!
With stunning weather and a spectacular forest backdrop, the inaugural edition of the Pemberton Trout Festival proved to be a great hit with the sizeable crowd that turned out for this new fish stocking event.
Around 400 people made the picturesque journey to Big Brook Dam, just outside of Pemberton, to line up and hand-release hundreds of rainbow and brown trout into the crystal-clear waters of this fantastic South-West freshwater fishery.
To top it off, every trout making a splash was at least yearling size, with dozens of parents and kids able to experience the thrill of holding the larger ex-broodstock specimens, some over 50cm in length, before gently caressing them into the water and watching them kick away to freedom.
With a greater number of the larger fish being released, it means a higher survival rate and a better workout for anglers and their rods when these bigger trout grab lures, flies and baits.
The stocking event proudly celebrated 50 years of Fisheries Department (DPIRD) management of the Pemberton Hatchery, which underpins WA’s ever popular South-West trout fishery.
Along with Recfishwest, this new event was initiated and supported by local fishing clubs including the Australian Trout Foundation (ATF), Southern Forests Freshwater Angling Club (SFFAC) and Western Australian Trout and Freshwater Angling Association (WATFAA).
The festival would also not have been possible without the tremendous support from DPIRD, the Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre, Daiwa, Healthway, Pemberton Visitor Centre, Shire of Manjimup and the Australian Trout Foundation Inc.
There were plenty of larger ex-broodstock trout up for grabs for attendees to help hand-release at the festival! Here’s Recfishwest Communications Coordinator Jarrad Lawford helping a young tacker release a beautiful brown.
“It was a great sight to see dozens of families and kids getting hands on in releasing these fantastic fish. There couldn’t have been a more fitting way to celebrate the history of the hatchery and the fishery here in Pemberton – the ‘spiritual home’ of WA freshwater fishing,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“The Pemberton-based trout hatchery run by DPIRD supports a fantastic program that brings thousands of anglers to chase these fish through South-West freshwater dams, rivers and streams. These anglers in turn inject more than $20 million annually into the regional economy and we believe there is huge potential to grow the fishery even further along with the social and economic benefits it brings to the region.”
Every year, trout are released into various popular freshwater fishing dams and rivers such as Drakesbrook Weir, Harvey Dam, Waroona Dam, the Collie River and the Brunswick.
With such a big turn-out for the successful event, it is hoped more fish stocking events like this can be run in the area in the future – watch this space!
Recfishwest will continue to work closely with Government in creating more places for people to fish for freshwater species in safe, accessible and family-oriented fishing locations.
Recfishwest’s Freshwater Fisheries Reference Group will continue to provide advice to DPIRD on where to distribute each year’s trout stocks bred at the hatchery.
A big Recfishwest thanks to all our supporters who made this event possible, along with all attendees young and old who took part and helped release the fish quickly and in good condition.
A unique experience in a picturesque place, hopefully the Pemberton Trout Festival will become an annual event!
After a long three-year stocking hiatus, Harvey Dam is finally set to see 100,000 marron make a splash into its waterways in 2023.
The announcement by the Fisheries Minister Don Punch fixes a decision by DPIRD to prevent marron being stocked into Harvey Dam as part of a stocking program funded by the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund and launched by the Premier Mark McGowan at the dam in 2019.
Harvey Dam is the most popular recreational marroning location in our South West and provides an ideal habitat for marron spawning and growth.
Over the last few years, the team from Aquafarms, supported by Recfishwest, helped release 300,000 marron into the popular Waroona and Logue Brook dams.
Large numbers of marron were also supposed to be released into Harvey Dam last year as part of this project, but one month before stocking DPIRD advised Recfishwest that, approval to stock Harvey Dam would not be provided.
DPIRD’s rationale for refusing permission to stock Harvey Dam was largely based on two-decade old research. However, this rationale did not extend to Logue Brook or Waroona Dams, leaving local marron fishers confused and disappointed that the premier marroning location of a recreational-only fishery was missing out, despite assurances it would be a focus of the stocking project.
Recfishwest raised our concerns directly with the Fisheries Minister and is pleased that he cut through the red tape put in place by DPIRD to ensure marron would be stocked in WA’s premier marooning location as intended.
This photo, taken in December 2019, was the last time marron were stocked into Harvey Dam, shortly after Premier Mark McGowan announced the RFIF-funded marron stocking program.
A sensible outcome
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “We thank the Minister for listening to Recfishwest and overcoming needless Government bureaucracy to right this wrong – it’s a sensible resolution that ensures a good outcome for the community.
“By working with the Minister and DPIRD, we hope to achieve a similar sensible resolution for the west coast demersal fishery and avoid the extensive social and economic damage the Government’s initial proposal for a nine-month ban would cause.
“Marron is an icon of the South-West and marroning is a hugely popular pastime, with Harvey Dam the most popular marroning location.
“The marron season brings in thousands of freshwater fishers from around the state to the pristine South-West waterways, helping inject millions of dollars back into our regional tourism economies.
“Stocking initiatives like this can future-proof the marron fishery and take us closer to our vision of year-round marroning.”
Breeding from the marron captured at Harvey Dam has already begun, with restocking expected to start as early as June next year.
