Media release Western Australia

[groverwa]

This was released to the public of West Aussie last friday - hope it is not too late to save our fishery

Media Releases

Minister releases proposed changes to recreational fishing to help save vulnerable fish.


A package of proposed initiatives to save some of Western Australia’s most popular and iconic oceanic fish species has been released today by Fisheries Minister Jon Ford.
This package, being released for a four-week consultation period, comes as WA faces unprecedented pressure from its escalating recreational fishing fleet.
The package of 11 recommendations is aimed at saving some of the State’s most vulnerable iconic fish by improving the management of recreational fishing off a section of the WA coast (between north of Kalbarri and east of Augusta, called the West Coast Bioregion).
Mr Ford said a new approach to managing recreational fishing was imperative to ensure the survival of some of the State’s most sought-after fish - especially the ‘Vulnerable 5’ - dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and red snapper.
The Minister said recent scientific research showed that populations of some of the State’s most vulnerable and iconic species were at risk of collapsing because of overfishing. One of the contributing factors to this overfishing had been the burgeoning recreational fishing sector.
“These warning signs tell us that we have to act now to save our vulnerable and iconic fish. Everyone has a role to play to save our fish to ensure we have fish for current generations as well as fish for the future,” he said.
“A balance between preserving the enjoyment of the recreational fishing experience and saving our iconic fish is achievable. And importantly, it’s crucial that we strive to achieve this balance.
“I believe the package of recommended changes that I am releasing today will achieve this balance between the social value of recreational fishing and the need to save our fish for the future.
“The package is designed to achieve a 50 per cent catch reduction of these key species in the West Coast Bioregion. Our best scientists say this is a necessary target to help stabilise and replenish these fish populations.”
The package of 11 recommendations includes reduced bag and boat limits for certain species, increased size limits for pink snapper, a split seasonal restriction for the ‘Vulnerable 5’, and greater protection of fish in the Abrolhos Island fish habitat area.
Mr Ford said it was vital for Western Australians to note that the package of recommended changes only applied to iconic species that were most at risk - especially the ‘Vulnerable 5’.
“The changes that I am recommending will allow recreational fishers to still catch a wide range of fish species,” he said.
“Specifically, the proposed package will not apply to people fishing for the usual fish species that are caught from beaches, jetties and groynes. Nor will changes apply to people fishing for species such as squid, whiting, skippy or fishing for ‘pelagic’ fish such as Spanish mackerel and tuna.”
The Minister said the proposal for a split seasonal restriction would prohibit the take of the ‘Vulnerable 5’ in two parts; October 15 to December 25, and February 1 to March 31. This split approach to the seasonal restriction would reduce the amount of fish caught over any year and offered some spawning protection.
“This split season restriction is a balanced approach to offer reasonable protection to our most vulnerable fish, while also giving people the opportunity to still catch these fish during the height of the summer holiday season, which is when most Western Australians want to go fishing,” Mr Ford said.
The recommendations, which apply only to the West Coast Bioregion (between Zuytdorp Cliffs, north of Kalbarri and Black Point, east of Augusta), include:
1. Reducing the individual mixed bag limit of Category 1 ‘high risk’ Fish from seven to four fish;
2. Reducing the daily bag limit of pink snapper from four to two fish;
3. Increasing the size limit of pink snapper from 41cm to 50cm;
4. Introduction of a boat limit of two daily bag limits for Category 1 ‘high risk’ Fish. Charter boats will be allowed to have a bag limit of two Category 1 ‘high risk’ Fish per customer;
5. Seasonal restriction that prohibits the take of the ‘Vulnerable 5’ species - dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and red snapper. The restriction will apply October 15 to December 25, and February 1 to March 31 each year;
6. Prohibiting spear fishing on compressed air for ‘high risk’ Fish. Also prohibiting the use of power-assisted fishing reels;
7. Initiating discussions with fishing clubs to discourage public fishing competitions from targeting high risk species such as the ‘Vulnerable 5’;
8. Reducing the finfish possession limit at the Abrolhos Islands, and the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Area;
9. Enhancing the existing voluntary Recreational Angler Logbook program to provide additional data;
10.Establishing a Recreational Fishing Trust, using existing current revenue that is raised through existing fishing licences; and
11. Investigating the introduction of large fish reserves.

[Chris Ryan]

Witnessing the collapse of the marine & fishing industry first hand here. The anti-fishing lobby are getting their wish.

:(

[FNQCairns]

Read about this a couple of months ago, it had the ring of more and the continuing overburden of governmental corruption, covering their incompetent ass with whatever the public will swallow and what they can force upon a minority without justification.
Would be the first time in the world the effect of recfishing on a fish stock could be measured, the thought astounds me, the ideology needed to make the claim astounds me as well, well I am flying to the moon today got the rocket all warmed up anyone want me to bring back some cheese!!!

Fairdunkum our managers are out of control.

cheers fnq

[Luc]

IMO, number 11 says it all.

I notice there's nothing about commercial fishing!!

Luc

[TerryF]

There's lots more to this than has been quoted in these posts.

These are NOT marine park closures. They are fisheries management changes and closures which are needed because the stocks of some iconic WA species are overfished and in danger of disappearing.

Only the most obstinate are saying there's not a problem, coz most WA people recognise there IS.

And the commercial fishing for these species has already been restricted too.

References for people who want more information:-

Recreational Fishing Current papers (March 2008).

1. 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" is available from http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/WestCoastDemersal/index.php

2. 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

3. Recfishwest media statement titled "New West Coast fishing proposals a 'mixed bag'" http://www.recfishwest.org.au/MediaStateWestCoastMixedBag.htm This was prepared on the morning of the release of the previous two papers and couldn't at that time cover ALL of the implications of ALL of the changes recommended by the Minister in Ref 1 or the Dept of Fisheries in Ref 2.

4. Minister for Fisheries' media statement 28 March 2008 is a summary of the proposed changes, available on http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemID=129922 This is a media statement summary of Ref 1 so does not have as much detail.

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Previous papers (September - November 2007) leading up to the current papers.

5. 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

6. 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

7. Recfishwest submission 15 November 2007 on that Fisheries Management Paper No. 225 is 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.

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Commercial Wetline Fishing

1. Closure of 14,000 square kilometres of the Perth Metro coastline to most commercial fishing for demersal fish. http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/CurrentMinistersSearch.aspx?ItemId=126456

2. Final Commercial Wetline Review Outcomes - the decisions by Hon Jon Ford, Minister for Fisheries:- Fisheries Management Paper 224 http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/mp/mp224/index.php?0602

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Lots of threads and posts on these in the Western Angler Fisheries Management and Environmental Issues forum http://www.westernangler.com.au/forum/tt.asp?forumid=3

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And more details of that Recommendation 11 are:-


That further research be undertaken to investigate the appropriateness of introducing large scale fish reserves or closed areas to provide protection for large numbers of fish or over an area, which is particularly important to spawning.

In FMP 225, closed areas were outlined as a possible tool to reduce catches and protect breeding stocks. To be meaningful, spatial restrictions would need to be located in areas where they can provide protection for large numbers of fish, or over an area which is particularly important to spawning.

....The research information currently available is inconclusive as to what areas could be considered for permanent closure and more research is required to better understand recruitment patterns of demersal fish stocks. Given the limited movement of dhufish stocks and uncertainties around larval drift (how far eggs/larvae travel), it is unclear what areas may be important for the management of dhufish stocks.

Consequently, no permanent spatial or corridor closures are recommended at this time. If however, future research indicates key areas exist which are the ‘source’ of the stock for species such as dhufish, closed areas may be considered as an appropriate tool.===========

We rightly complain when Marine Park closures are not based on research data. This will use focussed FISHERIES research data to identify where to protect spawning fish and spawning stocks.

Thinking recreational fishermen will support that focussed approach, and the closures which could follow IF THEY ARE EXPLAINED AND JUSTIFIED.

TerryF
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Beavering away in the background.......http://www.recfishwest.org.au/LogosRecfishwestLogo.gif

[FNQCairns]

Terry what is the executive summary? (from the recfishermans persective) WA is not my stomping ground.

How did the Rec fisherman cause this problem? What will be achieved from limiting rec fishing outside of some sort of wacky belief in what is now a holistic approach to a solely commercial and government caused problem.

I will forever find it corrupt when a government body who knows better lumps for convenience an individual and private use minority group with the commercial sector.

Broad scale farming and low impact hunter gathering have so little in common, why is this not recognized simply because it is in water and not on land, the tenants of ecology do not make that distinction.

So I expect recfisherman are supposed to feel warm and fuzzy now they are part of a solution to a problem they simply couldn't have had a measured hand in by any rational measure and still even with inclusion cannot have a measurable impact upon its rebound either.

I just don't get it, there may be something extraordinarily different and inside of real science, but what is it? Unil then natural law will stay solid.....simple belief in political law cannot change them, in the real world anyway.

cheers fnq

[TerryF]

fnq

A VERY complicated situation with NO easy answers. EVERYBODY has had an impact.

Some long lived slow growing demersal fish.

Medium to HIGH mortality of released fish, varies with species and depth, but can be very significant at the depths being fished.

Low productivity waters. Current sustainable catch from a very big area is only a few hundred tonnes.

Example Dhufish (the WA icon):- Age profile has changed a lot. Percentage of older fish is decreasing rapidly. Poor recruitment except for a couple of years 10-14 years ago.

Not enough known about the biology and reasons for that breeding/recruitment situation. Might even be "normal", but the effect is that current catches include a lot of breeding stock from those year classes.

Real concern is that there may not be enough breeding stock left when the next favourable conditions occur for breeding whenever/whatever. Could be this season or another 5-10 years, no one knows and no one should be prepared to gamble.

Commercial wetline fishing has not been managed soon enough. Reported catches were 40-50% over the target for some years and Dept Fisheries now says those targets were way too high. Unreported catch??? Management is now in.

Recreational catch as measured by as yet unpublished creel survey shows total catch is significant. Lots of unanswered questions in the limited amount of data presented and the interpretation.

Bag limits are already low. Bag and size limit changes alone CANNOT constrain the catch. Released fish mortality is a major - almost intractable - limitation in many of the possible parts of the solution.

These latest proposals leave a lot of questions, have some extra unnecessary consequences which don't actually benefit the demersal fish they are supposed to be aimed at.

Rec fishing changes MUST come... but what package will balance the essential fish protection without unnecessary restrictions on fishing??

It takes time to research and write a submission which covers all the issues. There are no simple answers - well simple answers maybe, but they might be wrong ones.

A draft of Recfishwest's comments on these papers is part prepared and expected to be made public by 11 April.

There will be good info in that submission that should be useful for people putting in their own submission and will be in plenty of time to meet the 30 April close.

Those will include a summary and heaps of details - like was presented for FMP225.

TerryF
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Beavering away in the background.......http://www.recfishwest.org.au/LogosRecfishwestLogo.gif

[FNQCairns]

Thankyou for that Terry was a good read, with hope once through this episode be it either a natural phenomenon or commercial management caused with recfisherman guilty by association, the powers will choose to separate the effort and true measurable take under known and commonly understood ecological science and recognise rec fishing for what it actually is.
Think in this country only the NT has taken chosen the road toward quality principles of management of their fish stocks/resource so far.

cheers fnq

[TerryF]

The Recfishwest DRAFT submission on these WA proposals is on the RFW website at http://www.recfishwest.org.au/DraftSubDemersalFishingFMP228.htm

Please read WHY as well as WHAT.

Comments on the contents of that draft can be made by Recfishwest members and others and will be considered for the final version which will be posted on 24 April.

Recfishwest, PO Box 34, NORTH BEACH Western Australia 6920, Tel: 08 9246 3366 Fax: 08 9246 5955 Email: recfish@recfishwest.org.au

Summary from that webpage:-


Summary of Recfishwest position on recommendations:

Recommendation 1 Mixed daily bag limit of 4 for category one fish:

Supported, subject to splitting of category and limit of 4 applying to vulnerable species and overall category 1 limit remaining at 7

Recommendation 2 Bag limit for pink snapper reduced from 4 to 2

Supported

Recommendation 3 Size limit for pink snapper increased from 41 to 50 cm south of Kalbarri to Augusta.

Supported for entire West Coast bioregion - consider staged introduction of 45 cm for 2009 and 50 cm for 2010. Support the retention of only one fish over 70 cm for Cockburn Sound

Recommendation 4 Boat limit of 2 bag limits apply except for charter boats which have two fish per person.

Support option b(i) That the boat limit of two daily bag limits for Category 1 fish (demersal) is introduced for the west coast bioregion. Where five or more fishers are on board a recreational boat, an additional two category one fish should be permitted for the fifth and additional fisher.

Recommendation 5 Closed season from 15 October - 25 December and then from 1 February to 31 March.

Not Supported. Recfishwest supports a two month closure from 15 October to 15 December with additional demersal scalefish species included.

Recommendation 6A Prohibition on take of category 1 fish on compressed air.

Not Supported

Recommendation 6B Prohibit use of power assisted fishing reels

Supported with a buy-back provision for 6 months at $200 per reel - surrendered reels to be provided to the Fishers With Disabilities Association

Recommendation 6C (Recfishwest initiative) Compulsory carrying of release weight

Recfishwest recommends that any boat which is required to carry and EPIRB and has fishing gear onboard, should also be required to carry a device capable of being used as a release weight, including all commercial fishing boats with wetline entitlements.

Recommendation 7 Public Fishing competitions targeting high risk species to be discouraged

Recfishwest supports discussions with organizers of fishing competitions.

Recommendation 8 Possession limit at the Abrolhos Islands be 10 kgs or 1 days bag limit

Recfishwest supports making the Abrolhos Islands a Wilderness fishing area.

Recommendation 9 Volunteer log book program to be expanded

Support expansion with greater timeliness and Recfishwest involvement and strong consideration to a compulsory log book system.

Recommendation 10 Recreational trust fund

Supported

Recommendation 11 Fish reserves

Not supported at this time.

Additional matters.

Resourcing

License/Registration system

Wider application of these proposals
Summaries can never tell the full story. Lots more details and explanations of each of these bolded topics on the website.

TerryF
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Beavering away in the background.......http://www.recfishwest.org.au/LogosRecfishwestLogo.gif

[Ben D]

Thankyou for that Terry was a good read, with hope once through this episode be it either a natural phenomenon or commercial management caused with recfisherman guilty by association, the powers will choose to separate the effort and true measurable take under known and commonly understood ecological science and recognise rec fishing for what it actually is.
Think in this country only the NT has taken chosen the road toward quality principles of management of their fish stocks/resource so far.

cheers fnq

Be careful using sweeping statements along the lines of "rec fishermen never have and never will have a significant impact on fish stocks" This may have been the case in the 1960's , but not today. The fishing power we have today is probably 100 times that of days of old, better gear, sounders, boats, GPS (a biggie in my opinion), and human population growth continues unabated. In some cases, there are certainly impacts.

In the case of the demersal fisheries in WA, as was pointed out previously in this thread the vulnerable species (snapper, dhufish, baldchin groper) are slow growing, long lived and suffer from barotrauma when bought up from deep water, significantly reducing the effectiveness of catch and release. The scientists are now well informed on the status of the fish stocks and in that case (about bloody time too), there are sound fisheries management reasons why they are investigating closed seasons and areas to protect spawning stock to try to boost recruitment. Either that or they let the fishery run into the ground, and no one wants that.

Of course, in more productive fisheries such as the NT barra fishery, recruitment can be driven by several factors, (such as a good wet season which improves survival of juveniles), not solely spawning stock biomass. So as long as la-nina hangs around things would have to get very bad up there before any area management proposals would be put on the table (e.g. closed seasons at river mouths when the barra are spawning). having said that, on the other hand black jew are slow growing, long lived, and GPS makes it very easy to target them on even isolated reefs where they aggregate to spawn. And surprise surprise, there are some concerns about black jew stocks in both the NT and QLD.

And what about freshwater fisheries. Why are some trout fisheries (for example, NZ or Tasmania) so heavily regulated when there are no professional fishers operating ? The same fisheries management principles apply here too, so there is no one sweeping statement you can make about rec fishing impacts, its horses for courses.