Recfishwest Welcomes Metropolitan fishing reforms

Recfishwest praised the announcement by Minister for Fisheries, Jon Ford, on the management arrangements including making the area from Mandurah to Lancelin recreational only for demersal scalefish.

The new arrangement recognises the importance of the recreational fishery in the metropolitan zone and provides an opportunity to manage the resource sustainably for future generations.

Executive Director of Recfishwest, Frank Prokop was extremely pleased with the decision. "This is a great day for fisheries management in Western Australia and for Recfishwest. We have been working on greater access for the recreational fishery, especially in the metropolitan region for nearly 10 full years and it has come to fruition."

"The recreational fishery is worth around $750 million to Western Australia with most effort in the metropolitan region. This decision means that the recreational sector will have greater responsibility for sustainably managing its own destiny. The compensation provisions for those commercial operators who have a demonstrated history in the area means that they will get financial recompense from the restructure." Mr Prokop said.

Mr Prokop pointed out that the recreational fishery was intensely managed and had undergone many significant reductions over the last ten years. By the Department's figures there has been a 15% increase in days fished by the recreational sector over the last ten years. That can be seen as quite modest compared to the increase in boat ownership and population growth in Perth over the same period.

"The recreational sector has lead the way with sustainable management for a decade or more. It was the recreational sector that initiated management controls for pink snapper in Cockburn Sound. The importance of this proactive measure is now being fully realised. We also took the hits when pink snapper were depleted by recreational fishing in Shark Bay and the stocks have recovered extremely well. It was Recfishwest that advocated for protection of cobbler in the Swan and Canning Rivers, protection for spawning bream at Heirisson Island and larger bream and tailor through slot limits." Mr Prokop said.

The Chairman of Recfishwest Des Wood also welcomed the management arrangements. "The Minister's decision represents a significant step forward in sustainable fisheries management. The enormous efforts of Recfishwest have been proven to be worthwhile and open the door for flexible management arrangements in the metropolitan region."

"Recfishwest is looking forward to the challenge of managing our recreational fisheries to ensure that a quality experience is maintained. This will have enormous benefits to the economy and lifestyle of Western Australians as we are already world leaders in this area." Mr Prokop said.

"This decision is not the end - it is the beginning!" Mr Prokop concluded.

Ends
17 September 2007. Media Contact:- Frank Prokop, Executive Director - Recfishwest 9246 3366 or 0419 949 118.

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References to related documents:-

Fisheries Minister's Media Statement 17 September 2007 "WA Government launches fishing package to save iconic fish for the future" http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/CurrentMinistersSearch.aspx?ItemId=129247 (link opens in a new window)

Recfishwest submission 24 April 2008 covering the Minister for Fisheries' paper "Recommended changes to recreational fishing of vulnerable iconic fish" and Fisheries Management Paper 228, "Strategy for Managing the Recreational Catch of Demersal Scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion" at http://www.recfishwest.org.au/SubDemersalFishingFMP228.htm

Minister for Fisheries' media statement 28 March 2008 includes a summary of the proposed changes is available on http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemID=129922 (link opens in a new window)

Minister for Fisheries' "Recommended changes to recreational fishing of vulnerable iconic fish - especially dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and red snapper in the West Coast Bioregion" (28 March 2008) is available from http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/WestCoastDemersal/management.php (link opens in a new window)

The latest Fisheries Management Paper 228 - "A Strategy for Managing the Recreational Catch of Demersal Scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion" (March 2008) is available from http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/mp/mp228/index.php?0706 (link opens in a new window)

The earlier Fisheries Management Paper 225 - "Managing The Recreational Catch Of Demersal Scalefish On The West Coast - Future Management Scenarios for Community Consideration" September 2007 is a previous paper referenced in FMP228 and is available from http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/mp/mp225/index.php?0706 (link opens in a new window)

Fisheries Research Report 163 "Spatial scales of exploitation among populations of demersal scalefish: implications for management. Part 1: Stock status of the key indicator species for the demersal scalefish fishery in the West Coast Bioregion." September 2007 is available from http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frr163/index.php?0401 (link opens in a new window)

Recfishwest submission 15 November 2007 on Fisheries Management Paper No. 225 "Managing the Recreational Catch of Demersal Scalefish on the West Coast - Future Management Scenarios for Community Consideration" http://www.recfishwest.org.au/SubDemersalFishingFMP225.htm   Note:- That submission was prepared 15 November 2007 and covers FMP225, so does not cover the Minister's proposed changes or FMP228 released in March 2008.

Labor Government's 2005 election commitment on licence fee for saltwater recreational line fishing http://www.recfishwest.org.au/Labor2005PlanForFisheries.htm#WillDoRecreational



This page prepared on 17 September 2007, last updated on 26 May 2008.