How 200 metre setbacks could help protect access to cherished land-based fishing spots on our South Coast

There is nothing quite like standing on a south coast beach, rod in hand, facing the salt spray as the water laps at your feet.

Dreams of mulloway, salmon, big tailor and skippy, or maybe a snapper often become a reality on many of the pristine beaches between Bremer Bay and the SA border. Many of these beaches are things of folklore in recreational fishing networks, having been at the centre of many fishing milestones for generations of fishers.

It’s therefore important to note that the draft zoning scheme for the South Coast Marine Parks considers “moving the boundaries of some sanctuary zones 200 metres from the mainland high water mark to allow for commercial and recreational fishing from and close to the shore.”

While this might have shore-based fishers sigh in relief, it’s important to note that it’s by no means a done deal. Unless enough people comment on specific sanctuary zones requesting a setback, the base case would be no fishing from the shore.

That is why Recfishwest is urging everyone that when you complete your submission, you specifically reference your support for a 200m setback in sanctuary zones to allow for shore-based fishing.

A simple 200m setback could help ensure land-based and nearshore boat fishing could continue off beaches earmarked for no fishing sanctuary zones in the Government’s proposed South Coast Marine Parks, including Trigelow Beach near Bremer Bay (pictured).

Protect our way of life on the South Coast

In all our conversations with local fishers, it has come through loud and clear that shore-based fishing at these prized locations – including Poison Creek, Warrenup, Twilight Cove, and areas around Cape Le Grand – must not be impacted by the marine parks.

Fishing from the beach along the south coast is part of our culture. It is accessible to those without a boat, provides the remote wilderness experiences, and due to the unique geography of granite headlands and beaches with varying aspects, can often scratch a fishing itch at times when weather conditions prevent going out to sea in a boat. Even the most avid boat fisher will usually have a surf rod or two in their fishing arsenal.

Even if you’re predominately a boat fisher seeking changes to offshore sanctuary zones, such as the ones around Figure of Eight or Woody Island, consider asking for setbacks on beaches where your family and friends go camping and fishing.

This doesn’t need to be complicated; for instance, if you are writing about your favourite beach to fish from, it can be as simple as “I believe a 200m setback should be in place to allow for beach fishing at this location.” A sentence as simple as this as part of your submission is the best chance to make a difference.

Need some help with your submission process? We’ve got your back. Check out our tips and advice for making a submission on the Government’s proposed South Coast Marine Parks.

The remote beaches at Twilight Cliffs to the east of Esperance is a cherished fishing and camping spot. A 200m setback would help protect these great experiences.

Talk to DBCA marine park planners at dedicated information stations

After mounting concerns and confusion over the details of the marine parks, DBCA have committed to providing face-to-face information sessions for the latter half of the public comment period.

A dedicated information help desk is now located at Esperance Lotteries House, 3 Forrest Street, and is open from 9am-3pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. We understand that dedicated sessions will also be hosted in Hopetoun and Bremer Bay, and will keep you posted when we find out more.

Since the beginning of the public comment period, we have heard your frustrations with the complex nature of the maps and management plans for the proposed marine parks, as well as issues navigating the online portal and being able to put in a simple submission. These sentiments have been echoed by the Shire of Esperance, who have highlighted the lack of in-person engagement from DBCA to help locals understand the information and to be able to put in an effective and well-informed submission.

While we have been more than happy to step up and fill the void by attending fishing comps and talking to fishers about what the plans mean and how to put in an effective submission, we are pleased to see that DBCA have listened to feedback from us, the local community and the Shire of Esperance and are now providing an avenue for in-person assistance.

We encourage you to make use of this service if you require further information on the proposals. As always, we are also available and here to answer your questions or help you put in a submission.

Want to stay up to date with our South Coast Marine Parks updates? Sign up to our newsletter by clicking here.

Recfishwest calls on Government to listen to local fishers and re-think illogical and unjustifiable no fishing zones

Recfishwest says that some of the proposed no-fishing zones in the Government’s South Coast Marine Park plans released today are “completely illogical and unjustifiable”.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Proposing no fishing zones in front of caravan parks, boat ramps and along several popular beaches demonstrates marine park planners in Perth are out of touch with the south coast community.

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“We stand firmly for sustainability; however, we cannot support the marine parks in their current form.

“None of the evidence we have seen supports the need to implement no fishing zones over the top of places where people have fished for generations, and they simply cannot be justified.

“The Government must genuinely engage with the local community – if they had done this in the first place, they would not be proposing to implement these zones where they have.”

SEE A MAP OF THE PROPOSED MARINE PARK ZONES HERE (the green zones are the proposed no fishing zones).

 

Orleans Bay Caravan Park sees thousands of mums, dads and kids venturing down each year to enjoy the great fishing on offer from the beach and off boats. If implemented in their current form, several of the proposed marine park zones will see great fishing experiences like this off limits to fishing families along the south coast.

In December, the Environment Minister Reece Whitby is on record saying that the Government “had listened to recreational fishers” and that fishers would “be impressed by what they see at the other end.”

“We confirm that we are not impressed by what we see in these proposals,” said Dr Rowland, “The views of local fishers have clearly been ignored and it’s now time the Government genuinely starts listening.

“We ask the Government to seriously re-think several zones and join us at the table to deliver a truly positive outcome for fishers, the environment and our future.”

“These plans are now open for public comment until 16 June and Recfishwest encourages all fishers with an interest in this coast to study the details and engage in the consultation process.”

Recfishwest will be on the south coast this week encouraging locals to have their say over the coming four months. Make sure you join our Cast of Thousands as a Recfishwest member to help us protect access to our prized fishing spots.

Fantastic kids fishing clinics turn-out highlights importance of fishing on the south coast

Every one of our 10 SunSmart Fishing Clinics Southern Tour was completely booked out this year, highlighting once again how popular and important fishing is on our south coast.

More than 350 excited kids took part in the clinics running from East of Esperance all the way along the coast to Augusta – with all participants enjoying learning about fishing basics, looking after the environment and being SunSmart.

This was a record attendance for the tour with record numbers of fish caught and released by the young eager anglers to match!

Check out some of the fishing action below in GWN7’s recent news item on the clinics.

Scores of whiting, flounder, skippy, tarwhine, black bream, leatherjacket and flathead catches put brimming smiles on the dials of our next generation of anglers over 11 days in January, with many participants enjoying the thrill of catching and releasing their first ever fish.

Many parents were delighted to be able to get their kids off their devices and out in the fresh air enjoying the healthy and educational experience the clinics provided.

Despite some windy, overcast and rainy conditions along the south coast, all fishing clinics at Duke of Orleans Caravan Park, Esperance, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Denmark, Walpole and Augusta were fully booked out, with some clinics even resulting in kids happily sharing rods with extra participants keen to get casting.

With fishing access to some of these cherished fishing spots along the south coast in question pending the release of the Government’s south coast marine park plans, these fishing clinics firmly showed that the social, physical and wellbeing benefits fishing provides to so many fishers need to be protected.

Packed to the rafters! Every clinic between Duke of Orleans and Augusta was fully booked, with local beaches and jetties full of kids hoping to catch one of the species on offer along the south coast.

“This was by far Recfishwest’s most jam-packed and successful Southern Tour since it kicked off more than 20 years ago,” said Recfishwest’s Communications Coordinator Jarrad Lawford. “The response from the community has been a fantastic illustration of just how passionate they are here about fishing and how important it is in this part of the world.

“Recfishwest’s Sam Bock and I were kept very busy baiting lines, helping carefully unhook the catches and taking snaps of ecstatic kids with their fish. Many of them created memories of their first ever catch that will last a lifetime and we’re hoping they’ve now learned enough to safely enjoy fishing as a pastime that will give them a lot of joy for the rest of their lives.

“A big thanks to Healthway for supporting these great community events and cheers to our instructors Stephen Crane and Kevin Murphy who also did a fantastic job coordinating some of the clinics. Make sure you get in quick and register your spot in 2025 for when our Southern Tour returns next year.”

In addition to all the valuable fishing knowledge provided at these clinics, all kids were taught how to stay safe while fishing and were rewarded Recfishwest stickers and lures, along with dozens of SunSmart and Shimano hats for their next fishing adventure.

Were you one of the 350 young guns getting amongst the fishing action during our recent SunSmart Southern Tour? Check out some of the great snaps below!

Recfishwest on the south coast and in the news calling for marine park consultation to ‘get back on track’

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.

Read the articles in the Esperance Weekender here

Listen to the ABC radio interview with Esperance Land Based Fishing Club president Mitch Waideman here.

 

Esperance’s premier fishing comp highlights importance of fishing to south coast

If you want an example of how important fishing is to the south coast – look no further than Esperance and last weekend’s (March 10-12) sensational Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club’s (EDSAC) Esperance Archipelago Offshore Angling Classic. 

With Samson fish tipping the scales at more than 22kg along with spectacular harlequin fish, snapper and breaksea cod — it’s no wonder more than 600 people came down to the weigh-in at Esperance’s biggest fishing comp and enjoyed a fantastic weekend of fishing and socialising!  

There were 275 competing anglers on 83 boats taking part in the competition – making it one of the biggest boat fishing tournaments if not the biggest in WA.  

The 30th edition of this great fishing competition proved not just to be one of the biggest community events of the year in Esperance, but also drew anglers from throughout the Great Southern and Goldfields regions.   

It’s also something of a local spectacle as with competitors’ friends and family members turning out to watch the traditional competition boat ‘fleet’ running out of Esperance Bay.   

And they’re off! Every year hundreds of spectators watch the competing boats cruise out of Esperance Bay to compete in the Esperance Archipelago Offshore Angling Classic.

The mixed bag of fish species off the south coast combined with impressive prizes for the biggest catches meant there was plenty of excitement on who would take out each prize category. 

Tyson Tate’s 22.40kg Samson fish not only landed him more than $20,000 in total for the heaviest fish caught and largest Samson fish overall — but his name was also pulled out of a hat containing hundreds of other raffle contestants to win a Garmin sounder package worth more than $5,000!   

See the full set of results from the Classic below.  

The Esperance Classic came on the back of another firm fixture in the south coast fishing calendar —  Southerners Sport Club Fishing Classic held in Hopetoun, which was celebrating its 29th edition earlier this month, with dozens of contestants landing various species to take home spectacular prizes.    

The two tournaments once again highlighted how highly prized the fishing on offer on the south coast is by the people who live there and those who travel there to sample what’s on offer, with EDSAC President Corrina Worth perfectly summarising why these fishing experiences need to be safeguarded.  

“We are just very privileged to be able to access some beautiful places and catch some great fish along the south coast with minimal effort. Looking after that opportunity and protecting it for future generations is very important,” said Corrina.  

Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett, who was in Esperance for the comp and to talk to fishers about the Government’s proposed south coast marine park, said it was the biggest crowd he’s ever seen attending the event. 

“You can’t fail to see what fishing means to this community and people in this part of the world when you attend an event like this – it’s fantastic to see how the comp brings the community together and generates such a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere.  

“And that’s for anglers across the board of all ages and capabilities – that’s the power of fishing and it’s why fishing events and experiences like these must be able to continue – they’re central to the fabric of community life and regional West Aussies’ well-being.  

“This is backed up by the recently published results of the National Recfishing Survey that shows fishing is highly important for improved wellbeing along with injections into our regional economies. 

“These massive benefits from fishing must be dialed into marine park planning processes currently underway along the south coast because one of the purposes of parks is to maximise the benefits to the WA community from these special environments.  

“Well done to all fishers who took part and made this year’s event another ripper edition of the Offshore Angling Classic and, of course, congratulations to EDSAC President Corrina Worth and her team for their hard work in hosting another cherished calendar fixture for the Esperance community.” 

The south coast offers spectacular fish species that are accessible by land and boat, including this yellowtail kingfish caught by Chris Dixon near Albany (pictured left) and this nannygai landed by Jesse Smithson off Esperance.

With fishers now preparing for the 2023 GAMEX at Exmouth which kicks off from 17-25 March, the Pilbara region in WA’s north is also set to be injected with plenty of excitement and economic contributions from visitors. Stay tuned for our full GAMEX recap!   

30th Esperance Archipelago Offshore Angling Classic – the full set of results 

BREAKSEA 1st Boat 79 Shane Temple 2.822kg – 2nd Boat 99 Ryan Nelson 2.591kg 

FLATHEAD 1st Boat 4 Michael Godfrey .922kg – 2nd Boat 13 Tyson Tate .759kg  

HARLEQUIN 1st Boat 104 Ernie McCreed 2.829kg – 2nd Boat 99 Ryan Nelson 2.585kg 

HERRING 1st Boat 32 Rob Darling .322kg – 2nd Boat 88 Lachlan Warren .302kg 

KING GEORGE WHITING 1st Boat 50 Wes Timms .303kg – 2nd Boat 26 William McCleod .266kg 

PINK SNAPPER 1st Boat 95 Kevin Lamour 4.99kg – 2nd Boat 8 Dan Tracey 3.25kg 

QUEEN SNAPPER 1st Boat 66 John Rees 8.825kg – 2nd Boat 73 John Simmons 6.235kg 

RED SNAPPER 1st Boat 79 Shane Temple 2.995kg – 2nd Boat 11 Mick Liebeck 2.835kg 

SAMSON 1st Boat 13 Tyson Tate 22.40kg – 2nd Boat 4 Michael Godfrey 21.250kg 

SAND WHITING 1st Boat 54 Steven Challenger .269kg – 2nd Boat 19 Jed Davies .262kg 

SHARK 1st Boat 99 Ryan Nelson 9.50kg – 2nd Boat 33 Matt Saw 9.150kg 

SKIPPY 1st Boat 48 John Saddington 1.768kg – 2nd Boat 3 Brett Thorp 1.692kg 

SNOOK Boat 16 Eugene Brown 2.035kg – 2nd Boat 6 John King 1.090kg 

SWEEP 1st Boat 82 Richard Leef 2.138kg – 2nd Boat 6 John King 2.043kg