Recfishers can resume boat-based fishing for demersal scalefish including pink snapper, WA dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod between Kalbarri and Augusta for the next four months from 1 April until 31 July.
Land-based line fishing for demersal scalefish is permitted year-round with bag and size limits applying to all fishers.
DPIRD Principal Fisheries Management Officer Maddie Watt said Easter and the school holiday period was always a popular time for fishers to head out on the water.
“Fishers are reminded to brush up on the rules including the boat limit of four demersal scalefish per boat and the removal of size limits for WA dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod to limit releases of fish that may not survive” she said.
“The rules are different in the Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area so it is important fishers are aware of the reduced bag limits for demersal and possession limits for finfish fillets before they head out fishing.”
Ms Watt said fishers were also encouraged to download the FishCatchWA tool in the ServiceWA App to record their catch.
“It only takes about 30 seconds to make a report which provides valuable information to support the management of our fisheries,” she said.
“Data collected using this tool to date shows the most reported species caught in the Mid West and Kalbarri region is WA dhufish, pink snapper for the metropolitan area and WA dhufish in the South West.”
Principal research scientist Emily Fisher said DPRID encourages fishers to donate their demersal fish skeletons as they provide key biological information such as length, age and sex, that supports our long-term monitoring program to track recovery.
“Fish frames can be dropped off at DPIRD offices and participating tackle stores with locations from Geraldton down to the south coast,” she said.
The current recreational fishing rules for demersal scalefish can be found in Recreational Fishing Guide available on the DPIRD website – www.fish.wa.gov.au
FishCatchWA is available on the ServiceWA app any can be download from the Google play store and the Apple app store.
