KEEN anglers and peak industry bodies are fighting back against a suggestion by the State government to effectively ban recreational fishing for some species across a huge chunk of the WA coastline for up to nine months of the year.
According to Recfishwest, it is a decision which would have a disastrous impact on small businesses, fishing clubs, communities and the tens of thousands of people who simply want to catch their favourite fish.
In February, Minister for Fisheries Don Punch enacted a recommendation to reduce total demersal fishing mortality in the West Coast bioregion - a 900-kilometre stretch of coastline - by 50 per cent.
According to Recfishwest chief executive officer Andrew Rowland to achieve that target, it was expected recreational fishers to reduce current catches by more than other sectors.
"While Recfishwest will always put the fish first, we do not believe the Minister's decision to disproportionately impact on recreational fishers is equitable, reasonable, or justified," Dr Rowland said.
The West Coast bioregion is home to more than 90pc of the State's population and accounts for 50pc of all recreationally caught demersal fish.
The area creates significant economic value through boat/tackle sales and service, charter fishing and fishing tourism.
A considerable portion of the $2.4 billion recreational fishers directly inject into the WA economy each year can be attributed to this fishery.
On top of that, half of all charter trips in WA occur in the West Coast bioregion which means a considerable proportion of the 831 jobs and $110 million expenditure generated annually by charter fishing can also be attributed to this fishery.
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Dr Rowland said a decade ago, a 20-year recovery plan for snapper and dhufish was established after an earlier stock assessment showed catches needed to be reduced to protect fish stocks.
"A stock assessment released in 2021 shows fish stocks are unlikely to recover within the 20-year recovery plan timeframe and further reductions in catches is required," Dr Rowland said.
"While the science may not be as current as we would like or reflect what many fishers are seeing on the water, it clearly shows recovery of our favourite fish is not happening as fast as had been hoped.
"The lack of older fish in the population remains a problem that needs to be addressed and the best way to do this is by leaving more fish in the water."
Recfishwest believes a package of investments will be required to mitigate the affects of whatever management changes Minister Punch chooses to implement.
Those investments would need to keep people on the water by redirecting demersal fishing towards other fishing opportunities, ensuring the economic and social values provided by recreational fishing in the West Coast bioregion are preserved.
It would also need to create new fishing experiences such as a network of fish aggregating devices, freshwater fishing alternatives to trout, installation of artificial reefs for non-demersal species, and stocking to create demersal fishing alternatives.
Lastly, any package should also address latent effort within the charter sector, as well as direct support for fishing and charter businesses to ensure job losses and closures of small family run businesses was avoided.
Recfishwest is supportive of leveraging recreational fishing licence fees towards a package to address sustainability concerns, resolve long-standing integrated fisheries management failings and develop new fishing opportunities.
"Such a package can be designed to leave more demersal fish in the water, save jobs and small businesses and finally realise the optimum use of demersal fish resources in the West Coast bioregion in line with the objectives of fisheries legislation," Dr Rowland said.
