Abalone fishers who plan to participate in the fishery between Busselton Jetty and the Greenough River Mouth must have a licence and will need to evaluate the local ocean and weather conditions to ensure they have sufficient water skills to manage the risk.
The area north of Moore River to Greenough River Mouth has been reopened this season, but fishers should note that areas outside of the Perth metro region are not patrolled by Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA). We urge fishers to wear the right gear, be aware of conditions and keep an eye on ocean swells and waves that wash across reef tops.
SLSWA advice for the Perth coast on Saturday indicates all factors currently carry a medium rating, however, fishers should remain cautious and alert, as ocean conditions may be challenging for those with little to no swimming or self-survival capabilities. It’s imperative to fish safely at all times.
Monitoring from SLSWA this week has shown average wave height to be around one metre, but conditions may change rapidly and therefore we urge fishers to assess their local conditions on Saturday before getting into the water.
SLSWA uses the best available information on conditions from multiple sources and rates the risks for factors such as wind speed, wave height, tide and swell period.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries Management Officer Druimé Nolan encourages fishers to stay safe and enjoy their fishing.
“There will be plenty of abalone for licenced recreational fishers heading out this Saturday, just ensure you are aware of the conditions and fish safely,” Ms Nolan said.
“It is important abalone fishers not only comply with the Roe’s abalone recreational bag limit of 15 and the minimum size limit of 60mm, measured across the widest part of the shell. It’s crucial each abalone is measured before removing it from a reef. If abalone is in your catch bag it’s considered your catch. It’s too late to measure, when you’re onshore.”
“Measuring before removing increases the abalone survival rate, helping to keep the undersize abalone on the reefs to grow and provide for future catches.”
See all the abalone fishing rules at: rec_licence_abalone.pdf.
DPIRD Compliance officers will be at WCZ abalone fishing locations to check compliance throughout the season. In addition to this Saturday, 7am-8am fishing sessions have been set aside for 11 January, 1 February, and 15 February in 2025 subject to ocean conditions.
Please note, new arrangements to fish for sea urchins have now come into effect. Fishing for sea urchins was previously linked with the abalone fishing season. Under the new rules, urchins can now be taken all year round under a bag limit of 20 per person per day.
See the sea urchin fishing rules at: sea_urchin_guide.pdf.
