WEST Australians who fish from a boat anywhere in the State –including those on charter boats – will need a $30 licence to do so from October under tough new rules to be introduced by the State Government.
A two-month ban on recreational fishing for popular species such as dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper will apply from Augusta to Kalbarri, starting October 15 each year.
The recreational boat fishing licence will apply to any form of fishing where a boat is used, including line fishing, catching crabs, spear fishing, octopus trapping, dip netting for prawns, any wading, diving or angling to catch fish, crabs or shellfish where a boat is used to access the fishing location.
Anglers who target demersal scale fish, such as dhufish, will also need an additional licence costing $20 a day, $60 a fortnight or $150 annually.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the measures were required to ensure the sustainability of WA’s fish stocks, which have been significantly reduced in the past decade.
He said research had shown that popular bottom-dwelling species such as dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper are being “over-fished.”
Revenue raised from the new licensing system will only be spent on matters related to recreational fishing.
A fee will continue to be applied to each of the following existing licences: rock lobster, abalone, marron, freshwater angling and recreational netting, but the fee will rise to a standard $45.
Mr Moore said the Department of Fisheries had to provide more rigorous compliance, greater research and better management measures to help maintain the sustainability of the fisheries.
“People fishing from beaches or jetties and shore-based crab fishers will not need a licence except where existing licences already apply,” he said.
A review of the new rules will be done in a year.
Recfishwest executive director Frank Prokop predicted there would be an outcry over the measures and said his organisation did not support the new fee structure.
Mr Prokop said it would mean keen anglers who wanted the “complete suite of fishing activities” would have to pay $405 per year.
“Our preferred licensing model would be for a much lower fee shared amongst all recreation fishers,” Mr Prokop said.
Recfishwest did signal its support for putting the money raised from licence fees into a recreational fishing trust account.
“The money must be used responsibly with the benefits of management being returned to recreational fishing,” Mr Prokop said.
“After all, this is a $750 million industry and an essential component of the West Australian way of life.”
He also backed the two-month closure on demersal fishing from Augusta to Kalbarri.
“We believe that it sends an important message to anglers that we have a part to play in managing stocks of species such as dhufish,” Mr Prokop said.
Demersal scale fish species for which a licence is required and to which the closure applies:
Coral trout and coronation trout
Cods
Western Australian dhufish
Emperors (including “norwest snapper”)
Baldchin groper and tuskfish
Western blue groper
Hapuku/bass groper/trevella and grey banded rock cod
Parrot fish
Pink snapper
Queen snapper
Red emperor
Red snapper
Tropical snappers and sea perch
Foxfish and pigfish
Visit fish.wa.gov.au for more details.