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Fishers with mobility issues are once again enjoying being able to drive to their favourite fishing spots on Fremantle’s South Mole – thanks to the fishing community banding together.
Following a big reaction from the local fishing community to the Mole being closed to cars and mobility scooters, vehicle access was recently restored to the Mole.
The reopening of vehicle access allowed senior fishers and those with mobility issues to once again wet a line off this iconic rock wall catching whiting, tailor, herring, snapper and squid alongside their friends and family.
For around six months, the cherished land-based Freo fishing spot was only accessible on foot after Fremantle Ports were forced to ban vehicle access to South Mole due to illegal camping, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Many, like Graeme French, who has fished there for decades, were concerned the closure could be permanent. However, strong support from hundreds of local fishers in a Fremantle Ports community survey helped reinstate vehicle access.
“If we stop fishing we’re just sitting at home and it’s not good for your physical or mental health. To be able to access a place like this well into your 80s makes a huge difference to your longevity of life,” said Graeme.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland added, “Easy access to this popular land-based metro fishing location is paramount and it’s great to see fishers like Graeme back here and able to drive along South Mole with a smile on their face.
“Recfishwest extends a big thank you to everyone who spoke up to help overturn the decision, and we appreciate Fremantle Ports for conducting proper community consultation. They understood the importance of easy fishing access in supporting the mental, social, and physical wellbeing of so many in the community.”
While it is finally receiving a small part of the restoration it thoroughly deserves – Carnarvon’s One Mile Jetty repairs will sadly fall well short of reaching the water, dashing the hopes of local fishers to soon wet a line again off the historic structure.
The State Government recently announced they would restore the first 150 metres of the jetty to celebrate its contribution to the heritage of the Gascoyne region.
“While it is great to see the Government position the jetty as the centerpiece of Carnarvon’s heritage precinct and invest in a portion of its restoration, it is bittersweet news for Carnarvon locals,” said Recfishwest Operations Manager Leyland Campbell. “They have spent years waiting for another land-based structure to restore the great fishing opportunities the jetty used to provide.
“The definition of a jetty requires it to extend over water, so the current restoration of 150 metres essentially just makes it a boardwalk. It would be fantastic to see the jetty restoration extended further so it reaches the waterline and once again offer safe and accessible fishing opportunities to the Gascoyne community.”
Jetties are highly valued community assets; they offer everyone the opportunity to access deeper water and a wider variety of species than are available from shore.
A former land-based fishing gem
Ask any experienced local fisher in Carnarvon to share any great fishing memories from Carnarvon’s One Mile jetty and their tales would stretch longer than the 1,450-metre jetty once did.
The jetty was the beating heart of recreational fishing in Carnarvon, with Recfishwest running successful local fishing clinics on the structure for years that saw excited youngsters land species such as queenfish, trevally, fingermark, flathead and mulloway to name a few.
Extending out to sea from Babbage Island on the southern side of the Gascoyne River mouth, the lengthy jetty was a hotspot for fishers of all ages and abilities to catch a wide array of species for more than 120 years.
Although the much-loved fishing platform was closed in 2017, many fishers continued to access the jetty. In the lead up to the 2021 election, the State Government pledged $4.5 million to progress the redevelopment of the shore-based section of the jetty.
However, shortly after the election, Cyclone Seroja ripped through and devastated large sections of the remaining jetty along with hopes the original jetty would ever be restored.
These images taken by TJ Bice back in April 2021 shortly after Cyclone Seroja show the damage inflicted along Carnarvon’s One Mile Jetty, with the waterside section cherished by land-based fishers copping the worst of it.
Early last year the Department of Transport completed a $4.2 million deconstruction of the intertidal and waterside sections of the damaged jetty as it was creating a navigation hazard.
It is possible though, to pay homage to the history of a landmark while simultaneously improving fishing opportunities as has been proven on WA’s south coast.
“The Government need to look no further than Esperance to see how important and beneficial it can be to restore the values a jetty provides,” said Leyland.
How Esperance jetty got it right
Just like Carnarvon, Esperance faced the dilemma of choosing to either restore their much-loved Tanker jetty or build a new jetty.
In the end, both goals were accomplished with a portion of the original timber jetty restored and connected to a new $7.5 million, 415-metre-long concrete structure that is safe, spacious and provides excellent fishing opportunities.
Since the new Esperance jetty was opened in March of 2021, it has once again become the heart of the town as the prime land-based fishing location for locals and thousands of tourists, many of whom visit Esperance because it once again has a jetty.
The new Esperance jetty paid homage to the original timber Tanker jetty by connecting it to the new $7.5 million, 415-metre-long concrete jetty that has since restored the foundations of land-based fishing in the town.
“Esperance shows honouring the old while embracing the new is possible, the same can be done in Carnarvon.” said Leyland. “We’re continuing to call on the Government to restore the fishing opportunities that Carnarvon’s One Mile jetty provided. The fishing memories and health benefits that the One Mile jetty gave me and countless others for generations are too great to be overlooked,” said Leyland.
“To fully unlock the potential of the heritage precinct, a new jetty extending from the restored section of the old jetty must be a priority for Government. They are certainly taking steps in the right direction by restoring the first 150 metres, but they still have another 1,300 metres to go before they restore the true value the jetty provides.”
Recfishwest Operations Manager Leyland Campbell has lifelong childhood memories fishing from Carnarvon’s One Mile Jetty, pictured here on a family fishing trip in the 1980s.
Thanks to an innovative jetty design, Port Hedland’s new land-based fishing platform will adapt perfectly to the ever-changing conditions, so land-based fishers won’t have to!
What’s more, the Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) has safely deployed six mangrove jack, cod and coral trout-attracting reef balls, donated by Rio Tinto, under the smart-design jetty to further enhance fishing opportunities.
PPA placed fishing considerations at the fore of its ongoing construction of the Spoilbank Marina, with better flexibility to fish during Port Hedland’s large tidal swings implemented into the jetty’s design and build.
Given the difference between the low and high tide mark in Port Hedland is frequently around six metres, PPA constructed two levels on the platform that allows fishers the freedom to wet a line either during the low or high tide mark, with wheelchair accessibility included.
Drawing on our artificial reef expertise, Recfishwest assisted PPA in the configuration of the six reef balls, providing tips on how to maximise the effectiveness of the reef modules.
Six reef balls have been safely positioned under the innovative dual-level fishing platform and slightly off to either side to create an inviting habitat for fish and boost the abundance in species for land-based anglers.
The pylons of the jetty themselves will help provide shelter and structure for the settlement of marine flora, algae, crustaceans and bait fish, further encouraging multiple species that fishers love to target to congregate and move between the pylons and individual reef structures.
We have also advised PPA on deploying additional reef ball modules and other reef structures around the marina parallel to the breakwall on the inside of the marina.
By providing other areas of habitat enhancement within the marina, this will help reduce overcrowding on the fishing jetty upon its completion, while also increasing catches of sought-after species.
An artist’s impression of the Spoilbank Marina fishing platform being constructed by the Pilbara Ports Authority. The platform will give recreational fishers improved access to fishing the fluctuating low or high-tide mark in Port Hedland.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “It’s great to see that the Pilbara Ports Authority have taken the interests of recreational fishers to heart in designing this marina and fishing platform – we’d like to see other Ports Authorities’ follow this example providing better access for land-based fishers.”
“Not only does the design take advantage of the fluctuating tides in this region, but the modules positioned in the marina will eventually house a wide range of species the community loves to catch.”
It’s good news for Port Hedland’s boat fishers too in the $187.5 million construction of the Spoilbank Marina project, funded by the State Government, Town of Port Hedland and BHP.
“Once complete, the marina will feature a four-lane boat ramp, 22 boat pens, fish cleaning stations and barbecue facilities,” said Pilbara Ports Authority General Manager Engineering and Infrastructure, Charles Kretzmann.
“The Spoilbank Marina will improve safe access to deep water by providing a separate entrance channel for recreational boaters and fishers to use away from large commercial bulk carriers navigating in and out of the port,” added Charles.
Recfishwest will continue to consult with PPA on the ongoing Spoilbank Marina construction, which is expected to be operational by late 2023, with landside completion expected in early 2024.
Port Hedland has always been an attractive land-based fishing destination for many anglers given the wide range of species on offer and the new Spoilbank Marina development by the Pilbara Ports Authority aims to enhance fishing accessibility in this region.
