Statewide Recreational Fishing Rule Changes Faq

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WA Statewide recreational fishing rule

changes frequently asked questionsFrom 1 February 2013, we are introducing new simpler rules or recreational shing in Western

Australia. The changes are to improve your recreational shing experience and to provide a more

eective management o nsh.

What are the main rule changes?

Bag limits The way we group nsh species and their bag limits has gone rom

13 categories covering dierent regions o the State down to just our. These our

categories demersal, pelagic, nearshore/estuarine and reshwater are based on where

the sh live and their biology. Importantly, they now apply on a Statewide basis.

Transporting recreationally caught fsh by courier Recreationally caught sh can no

longer be transported unaccompanied using commercial couriers.

Transporting and landing recreationally caught fsh There are new simpler rules or

lleting sh at sea and landing sh. Now a minimum llet length applies only to sh with

a minimum size limit. Fish with a maximum size limit need to be landed whole.

Why have the rules been changed?

We recognised that some o the previous rules, particularly those around bag limits or nsh,

had become complex and dicult to understand. Following extensive consultation with therecreational shing community through Recshwest, the States peak recreational shing body,

new rules were developed. The ocus is on making the new rules as consistent and easy to

understand as possible while helping us to meet uture sustainability challenges.

Why have the fnfsh categories changed?

Beore the new rules, we had three separate nsh bag limit categories or three dierent

bioregions (the North Coast Bioregion, the Gascoyne Coast Bioregion and the South Coast

Bioregion) and our bag limit categories in the West Coast Bioregion. That gave a total o 13

nsh bag limit categories with signicant variations between each region, making the rules

complex and dicult to understand. The old high risk sh categories included pelagic sh,demersal sh and even some nearshore/estuarine sh. Building on the lessons learnt rom

managing demersal species in the West Coast Bioregion, a new resource-based approach to

management has been adopted.

Under the new approach, we have reduced the bag limits to just our resource-based

categories, grouping sh together by their biology and where they live. These groups are:

Demersal nsh generally living on or near the ocean foor at depths o more than

20 metres.

Pelagic nsh normally inhabiting the surace or the middle depths o the ocean.

Nearshore and estuarine nsh typically living in the estuary reaches o rivers and/orin the ocean in depths o water up to 20 metres.

Freshwater nsh ound in the mid to upper non-saline reaches o rivers, reshwater

lakes and dams.

Most importantly, these categories now apply on a Statewide basis.


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Why are there still separate bag limits or demersal fnfsh in the West

Coast Bioregion?

Lower bag limits or demersal species in the West Coast Bioregion are part o several

management measures to reduce the recreational catch in this area by at least 50 per cent

(based on 2005/06 levels). We needed to make these reductions with the cooperation o the

commercial and recreational sectors ater independently reviewed research showed demersal

species like dhush, pink snapper and baldchin groper were being overshed in this area. We

will be reviewing these measures during 2013.

How have the landing fsh rules changed?

The previous rules relating to landing sh and lleting sh at sea were complex and dicult to

understand. These rules meant you could llet some sh at sea but not other special-risk sh.

There was also conusion around trips, which included staying overnight on islands.

The rules around landing sh have been signicantly simplied. Now you can carry sh with a

minimum size limit at sea in the ollowing orms:

lleted, skin and scale on (minimum llet length o 30 cm); or

trunked (with head and tail removed), skin on; or

whole (can be gutted and gilled).

I you are staying on an island overnight and transporting and landing sh the ollowing day, the

minimum 30 cm llet length with skin and scale on applies.

Fish with a maximum size limit, except shark, must be carried at sea and landed whole.

Fish without a size limit can be carried at sea and landed:

lleted, skin on; or

trunked, skin on; or

whole (can be gutted and gilled).

It was originally proposed to limit the amount o demersal fnfsh

fllets people could have in their possession to 10kg why hasnt that

happened?

We recognised that levels o shing pressure and stock abundance vary around the State. This

was refected in the eedback rom the consultation process, with many people suggesting there

is less shing pressure on sh stocks in the South Coast Bioregion than in the north o the

State.

A decision on reducing possession limits will be deerred until we have been able to consider

the stock status o demersal species in the South Coast and Gascoyne Coast bioregions, along

with the results o the Statewide recreational boat shing survey. We are expecting to have more

inormation available in 2013.

Why cant I use a courier to reight fsh I have caught even i I am still

within the possession limit?

Some shers, while on extended shing trips to the north o the State, were using commercial

couriers to reight their catch back to Perth. Some did this to transport several consignments o

sh over a number o days, well in excess o a single possession limit. For example, one courier

company reported transporting more than 160 consignments o recreationally caught sh(more than three tonnes o llets) over a 12-week period rom one regional town. Clearly, such

quantities o sh being transported on a regular basis will ultimately take their toll on local sh

stocks and the quality o the recreational shing.

The decision to stop unaccompanied recreationally caught sh being transported by commercial


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couriers is to protect the uture o your recreational shing in regional WA. In many coastal

towns recreational shing is a highly valued activity and a key drawcard or tourism.

You now have to accompany your recreationally caught sh anywhere within the State regardless

o whether you travel by air, land or water. So i youve been on a shing charter up north you can

still bring some o your catch back with you, but only up to 20 kg. You can still drive in convoy

with sh stored in a single reezer or ice-box (providing everyones sh is clearly labelled with the

owners name and they are on hand to identiy their sh).

I the rules are simpler, why are there still a number o specifc regional

rules?

Where possible, weve tried to remove regional variations. For example, bag limit and possession

limits or barramundi are now consistent across the North Coast Bioregion, rather than having a

possession limit o one barramundi on the Ord River, and a bag limit o one in the Broome area.

However, there will still be some regional variations; or example there will still be a closed

season or pink snapper in Cockburn Sound because we need to protect those sh when

spawning. Regional or species variations have been kept to ensure we can protect sh stocks i

they are potentially vulnerable to overshing.

How do individual species limits work with groups o fsh such as cods,

emperors and sea perch?

For a group o species, such as emperor, an individual bag limit (shown in the bag and size limits

in the Statewide rules guide) applies to each o the individual species in that group.

For example, emperors (except blue-lined emperor) have an individual daily bag limit o three in

all bioregions (except the West Coast). They are also within a mixed species daily bag limit o

ve (across all demersal nsh or these bioregions).

5 fsh = 3 red-throat emperor(species has an individual species bag limit o3) and 2 spangled emperor.

OR

5 fsh = 3 spangled emperor

(species has an individual species bag limit o3) and 2 red-throat emperor.

How was the recreational fshing community consulted on these

changes?

Peak recreational shing body Recshwest consulted with the community. In addition to

receiving written submissions and responses to an online questionnaire, Recshwest held ocusgroups in key regional centres around the State to gauge the views o the recreational shing

community. They received more than 900 submissions rom recreational shers. Based on

this eedback, modications were made to the proposals to ensure the highest level o public

support. Recshwest has given these new rules their ull support.

When will the rules be reviewed?

There is a seven-week period rom the Ministers announcement o the new rules to the

1 February go live date. We did this to allow shers to amiliarise themselves with the changes

beore they come into eect. In the uture, to ensure you arent caught out by the rules

constantly changing, new rules will be introduced on 1 January each year (unless there is anurgent sustainability issue that needs to be addressed). A new recreational shing guide will be

launched towards the end o the year, so that everyone is clear about the rules or the ollowing

year. This is an important part o making the rules simpler.


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Where can I fnd out more inormation about the rules?

Local Department o Fisheries oces can provide advice and copies o the new Statewide

Recreational Fishing Guide 2013. Alternatively, you can nd more about the rules and other

recreational shing issues rom the Departments website which also has contact details or

local Fisheries oces. I youd like to receive regular updates about recreational shing rules,

research and management, you can sign up to our new recreational shing newsletter Catch!

W: www.sh.wa.gov.au/recshing

Documents

Statewide Recreational Fishing Rule Changes Faq